Strath householders issued waste collection advice for winter
As winter approaches, strath householders are being reminded that garden waste collections will cease for a period of three months from the end of November.
There will be no brown bin collections in December, January or February. The final collection day of 2014 will be Friday, November 28, and collections will begin again on Monday, March 2, 2015.
Councillor Graham MacKenzie, chair of Highland Council’s Community Services Committee, also made a plea to householders not to use their brown bin for general waste over winter.
He said: "This year when the service resumed in March there was a particularly high level of contamination in the first bins lifted with general waste sometimes concealed beneath a layer of garden waste.
"All compostable material collected by local authorities must meet a specific quality standard which ensures the compost is suitable for its intended use.
"Recent changes to the standard mean that testing for items such as stones and plastic have become more stringent."
He added: "Approximately 10,000 tonnes of garden waste was collected in brown bins last year making a very significant contribution to the council’s landfill diversion."
Over the winter period householders with garden material to dispose of are encouraged make use of the garden waste skip at their local recycling centre.
Another option is to compost at home. Compostable material put in a general refuse bin will end up buried in a landfill site where it will rot without air, creating methane, a potent and damaging greenhouse gas.
By composting at home you can also produce your own nutrient rich compost to improve the quality of your soil and help your garden flourish naturally without having to buy in compost or use chemical fertilizers.
For more information on the garden waste collection service, details of what can and can’t go in the brown bin and to view your collection dates or download a calendar go to www.highland.gov.uk/recycle.
