Bins could be collected every 3 weeks

HOUSEHOLD bins containing non-recyclable waste will most likely be collected every three weeks in Dumfries and Galloway, it has been revealed.

Plans are being considered that would see less frequent uplifts in a bid to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, encourage more recycling and meet Scottish Government targets.

While no decision has yet been made, council chiefs are suggesting the region follows 13 other Scottish councils that have switched to three-weekly pick-ups for household waste.

This would significantly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill and could potentially save up to £1 million each year.

However, following a calamitous introduction of changes to bin collections over four years ago, another shake-up of services is expected to be controversial.

A waste strategy update report will be presented at next week’s economy and infrastructure committee, in which Janice Ireland, the council’s waste collection manager, said: “A fundamental step which has been adopted by numerous local authorities throughout the UK is to encourage residents to maximise segregation of recyclable materials by reducing the frequency of residual waste collections.

“The focus now for implementing an alternative collection frequency of non-recycling waste is to reduce the overall tonnages being collected and processed prior to disposal.”

It costs the council £115 per tonne to process non-recycling waste. Last year, 41,953 tonnes of this waste was processed – which equates to more than £4.8m.

In addition, the amount of non-recyclables being processed here increased by 564 tonnes from the figure in 2023/24.

Meanwhile, the council’s recycling rate in 2023/24 was just 41 percent – placing the region 22nd out of 32 councils.

The report continues: “The current system for the collection of non-recycling waste adopted by the council is based on each household receiving a fortnightly collection of a 240-litre wheeled bin, which provides a weekly capacity of 120 litres per household for residual waste.

“A number of local authorities have already changed their collection frequency or bin size."

It also reveals ten Scottish local authorities have achieved over 50 percent recycling rate, with six providing three-weekly kerbside residual collections and Stirling and Clackmannanshire Council on four weekly kerbside residual collections.

Council chiefs stressed that in order to meet recycling targets and comply with the government’s code of practice, this region must “reduce residual tonnages collected at the kerbside”.

It is hoped councillors will agree to a review of the non-recycling waste collection process, followed later by a formal recommendation.