RESIDENTS across East Lothian will benefit from more efficient refuse collection services when new kerbside recycling vehicles are rolled out in the autumn, with weekly recycling collections also on the way.
‘Tackling Climate Change one street at a time – Recycle – Make a Difference’ is the slogan on the specialised kerbside-sort recycling collection vehicles due to be introduced across the county on September 20.
Sixteen new state-of-the-art recycling lorries and one smaller recycling vehicle will provide an easier way for residents to separate recyclable materials at home and maximise recycling in the county, East Lothian Council says
The lorries feature compartments for recycling cardboard, mixed glass, batteries, food waste, plastics, cans and cartons.
FCC Environment, one of the UK’s leading resource and waste management companies, won the kerbside recycling contract to collect recycling from about 54,000 county properties on behalf of the council earlier in the year.
The new vehicle rollout is a collaborative approach from the council, FCC Environment and Zero Waste Scotland, which is funded by the Scottish Government.
From September, recyclable material will be collected from households on a weekly basis, with all materials collected on the same day – residents will also need to separate recycling into four separate streams, rather than two as at present (see table right), in addition to separate food waste.
The refreshed service is designed to help county residents recycle more than ever – and more frequent collections could eradicate the need for several recycling boxes.
A new container in the form of a sealable, weighted and reusable bag will be rolled out alongside the vehicles to collect plastics, cans and cartons.
READ MORE: Weekly collections coming as part of major changes to recycling in East Lothian
Tom Reid, head of infrastructure for East Lothian Council, said that feedback from residents had been taken onboard and the local authority had worked with its suppliers to create bags which were “weighted to prevent light materials blowing away”.
He said: “The weighted bag is made up of white polypropylene with a rubber weighted bottom and weighs 1kg when empty.
“It will be used to contain plastic, cans and cartons, and is self-sealing with velcro strapping so it does not require an additional lid.”
The lorries have been specially designed with hooks on the exterior of the vehicle to hold recycling containers, making it easier for operators to load the lorries.
A compartment specially designed to hold up to one tonne of flattened cardboard is located in the vehicle’s roof – meaning more recycling can be collected before the vehicle needs to return to Kinwegar Recycling Centre, near Wallyford, to empty.
This will reduce carbon emissions and the distance each vehicle is required to travel, meaning more waste can be collected from households each day.
The full process, from entering to exiting Kinwegar Recycling Centre, has been dry run tested at 17 minutes – the time will likely reduce as the service progresses and becomes more efficient.
The vehicles, which have been brought in elsewhere in the UK in recent years, will require two operators and one driver.
The vehicles boast impressive safety mechanisms, warning lights, reflective stickers, radar sensors and 360 cameras around the perimeter, helping to ensure the safety of workers and residents at all times.
Matt Patanden, UK sales manager for Romaquip Ltd, the manufacturer of the vehicles, said that the new recycling lorries were “future proof” and “the quietest machine for glass in the country, producing less noise than other vehicles”.
He said the value in recyclable material was far greater than people might think.
One tonne of aluminium is worth £650, a tonne of cardboard is worth up to £70 and glass can range anywhere from £15-30 per tonne.
Councillor Norman Hampshire, East Lothian Council’s depute leader and environment spokesperson, said: “The new service will collect kerbside recyclable materials including food on a weekly, single-pass basis, meaning householders will not have to store as much material between collections.
“The replacement vehicles have a number of separate compartments for the assorted materials which provides an enhanced kerbside collection service on a more frequent basis.”
Mr Hampshire said that East Lothian residents “currently present one of the highest qualities of recyclable materials in Scotland, with less contamination or mix of materials than most other local authority areas”.
He added: “All councils have been tasked with improving household recycling rates as part of the Scottish Government’s Charter for Household Recycling and the new service will continue our good progress in increasing the quantity of high-quality recyclable materials collected and therefore greatly reducing the need to use landfill.
“These changes provide a significant step forward in meeting our Climate Change Strategy objectives and supports local residents contributing towards tackling the climate emergency.”
Later in the year, school children across the county will be given the opportunity to get creative and win a chance to name the recycling vehicles.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel