Some questions about rubbish and recycling collections
How often will bins be collected?
One green (general) waste bin will be collected every three weeks. The blue (recycling) bin or recycling bag(s) will continue to be collected every two weeks and other local arrangements for recycling will remain the same.
I don’t want a recycling bin / recycling bags; do I have to have one?
No you don’t have to take a recycling bin, however if you choose not to have one your green mixed waste bin will still only be emptied once every three weeks.
Why can’t I put glass in my blue recycling bin / recycling bags?
Glass will contaminate other recyclates if it breaks and is a significant health and safety hazard for workers at recycling plants where hand sorting takes place. Glass bottles and jars can be recycled at all recycling centres and points.
What about flatted properties that have no room for recycling bins?
Those areas that are currently kept on a weekly uplift due to insufficient space will remain so
Does Tarbert come under Kintyre area like Campbeltown?
Tarbert will be serviced by Lochgilphead, Campbeltown only covers as far as Kennacraig
Should I mark my green bin with a house number or name of my house?
Yes, customers should mark their bin so that it can be identified as belonging to their household as only one green bin will be uplifted unless they have had a successful assessment for an additional bin.
What if I live on an unadopted road?
We will collect bins from unadopted roads providing that the road is safe for the bin lorry. The driver will decide on the day whether the road is safe.
If your road is found not to be safe then we will arrange with you a suitable collection point, most likely at the end of your road where it joins the public highway.
Some questions about additional bins
What is the timescale for an assessment for an additional green bin?
Contact will be made with the customer within 10 working days from the receipt of the request.
Which households will have two green bins collected?
Arrangements can be made for certain households to have a second general waste green bin - where there are five or more people or where someone has a medical condition that generates waste.
Can I request an additional recycling bin or additional bags for recycling?
Yes a second recycling bin is available on request for those areas that use them, please use this online form to apply for a blue bin, please use this online form to apply for a grey glass bin (Helensburgh and Lomond, Mull and Iona, and Tiree only), and please use this online form to order a food waste bin, or caddy (Helensburgh and Lomond area only).
I previously opted to have a smaller green domestic mixed waste bin or blue recycling bin. Can I get a larger one?
I don’t have a recycling bin, what should I do?
If you still do not have a bin please contact us and we will deliver one out to you.
Will large families be issued with additional bins?
If there are 5 or more residents in a property they qualify for a second bin and can request one using our online form
How do customers access the provision for the uplift of second green bins for large families and medical waste? Will it just mean 2 bins picked up at the same time or will one be uplifted one week and the second a week later?
Uplifted at same time bin will be identified as second bin with a red lid
Some questions about your bin calendars
How will I know when each of my bins will be emptied?
Collection dates for your address are available online, with a downloadable collection calendar that has a colour key to distinguish between general waste collection, recycling collection and days when both collections coincide.
What about the calendars, how will they show the overlaps with recycling and domestic?
A colour key will distinguish between general waste collection, recycling collection and days when both collections coincide
Some questions about how extra rubbish can be dealt with
I don’t have enough room in my green bin what can I do?
Excess general mixed waste can be taken to your local recycling centre. In certain circumstances the householder can purchase a second green bin for mixed household waste. This is subject to assessment by the council and you have to demonstrate a genuine need for the additional bin.
You can also request a visit from one of our wardens who can provide advice on how to get the most out of the new collection service. Over 60% of the average bin contents can be recycled using the blue bins and local recycling centres and points.
Contact us by by using our online form or calling the enquiries line on 01546 605514.
I’ve missed my green bin collection day and my bin is full what can I do?
Unfortunately if you miss your collection day we cannot come back out and empty your bin for you.
If you know in advance that you are going to be away on your bin collection day try to make arrangements with a family member or neighbour to get your bin out.
Excess general mixed waste can be taken to your local recycling centre.
I have side waste that will not fit in the green general waste bin or blue recycling bin, will you pick it up?
No, side waste or recycling will not be picked up from beside or on the top of your bin. Excess general mixed waste can be taken to your local recycling centre. If you have additional recycling that won’t fit in your blue bin this can be taken to your local recycling centre or point.
Will excess bags be lifted?
No
What happens if excess bags are not uplifted and rats or seagulls burst the bags?
Any environmental health complaints will be addressed as per council policy.
I have missed my 3 week collection as I have been on holiday, what can I do?
Unfortunately if you miss your collection day we cannot come back out and empty your bin for you.
If you know in advance that you are going to be away on your bin collection day try to make arrangements with a family member or neighbour to get your bin out.
Excess general mixed waste can be taken to your local recycling centre.
Some questions about food waste collections
Are there plans to introduce food recycling in areas other than Helensburgh?
Not at present. It is Scottish Government requirement to collect food waste in Helensburgh due to the population size.
Buying and preparing only what you need can help cut down the amount of food thrown away - every household in Scotland could save £460 each year by throwing out less. See http://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/ for information on how you can cut down food waste.
Home composting can also save space in your green bin – see /content/home-composting-advice
Why are we not being provided with food recycling like Helensburgh & Lomond?
Under the Waste (Scotland) Regulations all of Argyll and Bute apart from Helensburgh and Lomond area is classed as rural – this exempts these areas from the legal requirement to be provided with separate food waste collections.
This coupled with the additional costs of providing a food waste collection service in a rural area - means that this service is not being rolled out to any other areas at the moment.
Some questions about possible problems
Is keeping my general mixed waste in my green bin for three weeks likely to cause a problem?
There should be no issues with waste being in the bin for three weeks if you:
- Wrap up or bag any potentially smelly waste before placing it in your bin.
- Make sure your bins lid is kept closed
Three weekly collections of general mixed waste are carried out in other Scottish local authorities without issue.
What will happen with people of live in flatted properties and they use any bin for recycling and refuse and then recycling bins not uplifted due to full of domestic waste?
Environment wardens will visit premises
What about noise from early morning and late night collections?
Most of the lorries have electric lifts which are very quiet; however any noise complaints will be addressed as per council policy.
What can I do about any smell coming from bins?
Customer should bag any waste and keep bins clean. Any environmental health complaints will be addressed as per council policy.
Will environmental health be dealing with any vermin issues caused by accumulated rubbish?
Any environmental health complaints will be addressed as per council policy.
There are constant service disruptions as it is due to vehicle breakdowns, are new vehicles being purchased?
A programme is in place for replacement vehicles
What time do we class a bin as being missed? Currently it is 4pm.
It will still be 4pm for most areas, except for Cowal and Lomond where the bin men will work till 10pm. A missed bin in these areas will be the next day.
Some questions about recycling
What can I recycle?
A list of what can be recycled in each area is available on the Council website.
To find out what kerbside recycling is available in your area, please go to our Bin Collection page, where you can find out what is collected and on what day for your area.
Where else can I recycle?
Waste can also be taken to any of the Council’s civic amenity sites
Garden waste should be composted wherever possible. For advice please see - /content/home-composting-advice
Why is my green general waste bin only being emptied every three weeks?
The range of materials accepted in the blue recycling bin will mean that households generate less general mixed waste to go in the green general waste bin. This reduction in general mixed waste will allow Argyll and Bute Council to empty the green bin every three weeks, alternating with the blue bin which will be emptied every two weeks.
We must all work together to meet the Scottish Government’s targets for increasing the amount we recycle and reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill.
Due to reduced funding we have to make choices about what we do and in how we work – so that we can continue to support our communities where most needed, to continue to invest in a prosperous future for Argyll and Bute and continue to deliver a wide range of services and be a key employer.
Recycling delivers various benefits, from on-going savings to better care of the planet on which we all depend.
We are therefore providing a service that maintains recycling collections. Recycling saves space in bins and saves money for services.
Recycling saves money for Council services that communities have told us are important to them - for every tonne of waste that goes to landfill the Council has to pay over £80 tax.
Reducing waste can also save you money - figures show that every household in Scotland could save £460 a year by throwing away less food.
By recycling more there will be less in your green bin. While we have seen an increase in recycling we still tend to find some of what goes in their green bins could be recycled in your blue bin.
Why was this new service introduced?
To increase the amount of materials that can be recycled from household and commercial collections, to reduce costs, increase recycling rates and to decrease the amount of waste being sent to landfill.
There are a number of reasons for doing this including:
- Much of the waste we produce is a resource that can be recycled or composted
- The Scottish Government has set a recycling target of 70% by 2025
- Landfilling waste is becoming more expensive, with large landfill tax levies imposed by the Government.
- To help reduce CO2 and methane emissions.
- To reduce collection costs
- To assist in compliance with Waste (Scotland) Regulations