‘Huge rise in recycling’ after cutbacks in bin collection, says Argyll and Bute Council

There has already been an increase in recycling in the three weeks since cutbacks in bin collections took effect, Argyll and Bute Council has said.

The new system only took effect in the Helensburgh and Lomond area on October 31, but a council statement yesterday said there had been “a huge rise in the use of the food and glass waste bins, as well as a slight increase in the use of blue bins”.

Ellen Morton, policy lead for roads and amenity services, said: “Like all councils we have to change the way we do things because of drastically reduced funding, with £10m of savings this year alone.

“At the same time we have to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill because we pay over £80 in tax for every tonne.

“The more we can work together to recycle the more money we can save. We can then protect the services people have told us are important to them like investing in regeneration projects, educating our young people, improving our road network and supporting vulnerable people.

“We’d like to thank people for increasing their recycling and for their patience as we have implemented the changes.”

The new arrangements were attacked as ‘a shambles’ by opposition councillor George Freeman earlier this month, but the council said the change had gone well.

This week’s statement added: “In Helensburgh and Lomond bins are being collected both in the morning, the afternoon and the early evening.

“If you come home from work around 6pm and your bin hasn’t been collected it is likely that yours is an evening collection route.”