Residents across Perth and Kinross are taking delivery of their new grey bins as part of a £2.72 million shake-up in council collections.
Many homes have already received the additional bins, which will allow many more items to be recycled.
Others can expect theirs in the next few weeks as the council embarks on a major new recycling push.
The latest delivery programme is covering the Almond and Earn, Carse of Gowrie, Strathallan and Kinross-shire areas.
Highland Perthshire deliveries started in August.
Perth and Kinross Council says the grey bins will make a huge difference to recycling rates locally.
But the move has sparked some controversy.
Some householders are asking how they are going to fit another bin into the limited space they have.
Others are concerned about what the change will mean for the frequency of collections in their area.
So do YOU have questions? Maybe we can answer them…
What’s this grey bin for?
The grey bin will accept the plastics, cans and cartons that currently go in the blue Perth and Kinross Council recycling bin (it will now be reserved for paper and cardboard).
However, it will also take soft plastics and foil, which have previously had to go in the general waste.
That includes: crisp packets, plastic and black bags, fruit nets, film coverings, bread bags, sweet wrappers, cling film, bubble wrap and medicine blister packs.
Pet food pouches, foil and foil trays will also be recyclable when the grey bins go live.
Materials like these make up around 9% of kerbside general waste in Perth and Kinross at present. But there have not been the facilities for recycling them until now.
Where am I supposed to put it?
Households in Perth and Kinross already have regular and recycling bins and, in many cases, a third bin for garden waste.
Residents who don’t know how they are going to squeeze in another bin can apply for a ‘slimline’ version. These have a 140l capacity, instead of the regular grey bin’s 240l.
However, there’s only a 2.5cm difference in the space these take up, compared to a normal grey bin.
And with recycling collections going monthly, the reduction in capacity may end up being a bigger headache than the centimetres saved.
There’s an application form on the Perth and Kinross Council website. Bids are being considered on a case-by-case basis, and the slimmer bins will only be considered for properties where there is no room for a 240l bin.
Households can also use the form if they haven’t received their grey bin, if the one they have is damaged, or if they’d like to request another one.
When do I start using it?
Not until November.
Your bin should be taped shut when it arrives. The advice is to keep it closed for now, to prevent contamination.
Perth and Kinross residents are due to receive letters this month advising them on the next steps for grey bin collections in their council area.
When will it be picked up?
The grey bin roll-out also heralds a change in collection frequencies for Perth and Kinross Council.
Instead of the current system – blue bin one week, general waste the next – residents will be switching to a four-weekly rota.
That will mean general waste on week one, paper and cardboard (blue bin) on week two, general waste on week three, and plastic, cans and cartons (grey bin) on week four.
New collection calendars will go online in October 2023.
Residents who do not have internet access can request paper copies from the council’s customer service centre from October too.
Why do I need it in the first place?
Perth and Kinross Council says the grey bin service will bring it into line with the Charter for Household Recycling.
This is supposed to bring consistency to recycling services across Scotland
It’s hoped it will also cut down on contamination levels too, meaning more of the stuff collected can actually go for recycling.
By keeping paper and cardboard items separate, it should reduce the likelihood of them being dirtied by liquids or food remnants from cans and plastics.
What is this costing the council, and me as a council tax payer?
Perth & Kinross Council says it has has secured £2.72 million from the Scottish Government to cover the costs of the service change.
The money has come from the Recycling Improvement Fund, administered by Zero Waste Scotland.
The council’s environment, infrastructure and economic development convener, councillor Andrew Parrott, insists that removing more recyclable items from the general waste will reduce costs in the long run, as well as promoting a circular economy and benefitting the environment.
“Perth and Kinross has one of the highest recycling rates in the country,” said Mr Parrott.
“However, it is important we do more.”
He added: “Many other parts of Scotland already have a four bin system and the new bin brings us in line with the Charter for Household Recycling, which seeks to bring consistency to recycling services across the country.”
Conversation