Extra rubbish bags placed beside waste bins at the kerbside will no longer be collected by Dundee City Council as part of efforts to boost recycling rates.
Residents will be asked not to place so-called ‘side waste’ for collection.
Any extra bags will simply be placed back inside the bin once it has been emptied and left for the next collection.
The council claims side waste typically contains recyclable materials wrongly presented as general waste.
Households that have a high level of waste due to the number of occupants, or because they have particular needs, will have to apply for a permit for a second grey bin.
A similar system is already in place in other parts of Scotland including Angus.
The latest move follows the introduction of charges for the collection of brown garden waste bins two years ago.
What’s the reason for the change?
Councillor Anne Rendall, the council’s convener of neighbourhood services, claims the move is crucial if the council is to achieve its ambitious recycling targets.
She said: “The introduction of the ‘no side waste’ and ‘additional refuse permit’ policies mean we join many other local authorities in Scotland in implementing similar strategies to educate and inform residents on good recycling practice.
“The introduction of these two policies, following the recent information campaign on recycling contamination, is the next phase in our Zero Waste Strategy plan.
“It is important that we all take steps to minimise the amount of waste we create and to dispose of our waste as sustainably as possible.”
They will be introduced across the city in phases “over the second half of 2021”.
What are the new rules?
Households will be eligible for an extra bin if they have six or more permanent residents, have two or more children using disposable nappies, or where they usually have bulky health-related waste.
Applications for an additional general refuse (grey) bin and permit can be made on the MyDundee website.
The local authority is asking households that don’t qualify to separate their waste using available recycling facilities before placing any remaining items into their general waste bin.
Ms Rendall added: “It has never been easier to recycle in Dundee. By introducing these policies, we are encouraging residents to ask themselves if they are placing their waste into the correct bins.
“This new approach can go a long way towards influencing our waste disposal behaviours – to make the most of our bins and to recycle fully.”
More to follow.
Dundee won’t meet its 2025 recycling targets for two decades, analysis shows