New approach to household waste + recycling

Stirling’s Councillors have adopted a new household waste and recycling policy which includes a 100% concession scheme for the new Garden Waste Permit.

The £35 annual opt-in charge for garden waste collection will start on 19 April and will support the Council’s drive to improve its household waste collection services.

Residents in receipt of a council tax reduction will be eligible to receive their permit for no charge, along with those who receive a garden maintenance service.

A household with someone who is ‘severely mentally impaired’ may also qualify for the concession.

Almost 7,000 of Stirling Council’s householders will be entitled to the free service and will receive their permit directly.

The new policy consolidates the current practices of the Council’s waste and recycling services to households for ease of reference and transparency. 

There are only four areas of current service provision which will change under the new policy:

* A household of five or more, rather than a household of six or more, with excess non-recyclable can apply for their standard 240L grey bin (general waste) to be swapped for a larger 360L grey bin.
* Households with more than two children in nappies will now be able to apply for the non-hazardous healthcare waste collection service – an additional 240L grey (general waste) bin.
* From April 2021, and once the current stock is depleted, the Council will no longer provide food waste caddy liners from Council buildings. Residents can put food waste in their caddy loose, line their caddy with newspaper or kitchen roll or purchase compostable liners from supermarkets or online.
* As part of the current standard household waste and recycling collection service, contaminated recycling bins are not emptied. Whilst the Council would encourage contamination to be removed, residents can now request a chargeable uplift for a contaminated bin. 

Members of the Environment and Housing Committee approved the policy following a vote last week (11 February).

Convener of the Committee, Cllr Jim Thomson said: “The new waste policy brings together all the existing customs and practices of the waste service in one document which will be important for public awareness, clarity and enhanced service delivery to residents.

“I am pleased to see the policy include the 100% concession for the new garden waste permit for eligible households and we will shortly share more details with residents about this.

“While there aren’t significant changes to existing practice in the policy, I welcome the fact more households with larger families will be able to apply for a larger grey bin.”

The policy reflects the changes to the Council’s Waste Transformation Programme that was approved by Councillors in June 2020.

Almost 70,000 new grey and brown bins have been delivered to households (as of 10 Feb) as part of phase one of the transformation.

Vice Convener, Cllr Danny Gibson said: “There are a number of transformative changes taking place in our household waste collections, including the rollout of the new grey and brown bins, so it makes sense to create a new policy that takes these into account.

“Public feedback has helped us shape the changes to our household waste and recycling services, and we are committed to continuing engagement with residents during the transformation programme.”

Along with the policy, the committee report also includes a list of waste and recycling requirements for the public, such as container presentation times, contamination guidelines, collection of missed bins, assisted collections and bulky uplifts.

To view the report, the policy and guidelines, please click here to download the agenda papers.

A recording of the Environment and Housing Committee meeting is available to view on the Council’s YouTube channel.
 
Note to editors
1. For further information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact 01786 233015
2. The creation of the Garden Waste Concession Scheme was undertaken by the Senior Manager of Environment and Place under delegated authority in consultation with a number of elected members and the Chief Finance Officer.
3. Stirling Council serves 94,330 residents and a thriving business community in an area stretching from the scenic Campsie Fells to Stirling’s vibrant city centre and the imposing Trossachs Mountains. Located within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, the area features breath-taking scenery and some of Scotland’s top visitor attractions including the Castle and Wallace Monument which are testimony to Stirling fascinating past. Our vision is to deliver more agile and responsive services and work with our employees, partners and communities for the benefit of all.  The Council is committed to building on Stirling’s strong reputation as a business and investment location by positioning the area as an economic and cultural powerhouse.
 
 
 
Mark Henderson
Senior Media Officer
Stirling Council
Old Viewforth
Desk: 01786 233015
Mobile: 07468 470007
my.stirling.gov.uk/news
Ext. 33015

 

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