13 February 2019

A-Z guide now available showing what can be recycled in Aberdeenshire and how.

A new online guide is available outlining what materials can be recycled in Aberdeenshire and what cannot be recycled.

It follows feedback from residents who called for more detailed information on what goes in each household bin and what can be recycled at Household Waste and Recycling Centres (HWRCs).

The new web page lists a wide range of materials commonly disposed of, offering information on how they can best be recycled, maximising the value of materials.

It is hoped improved knowledge could help increase the area's recycling rate, reduce contamination and see less potentially recyclable material sent to landfill.

Aberdeenshire’s recycling rate is 43.7%, but services currently available should allow a rate over 70%.

Over half the materials in local non-recyclable waste bins are recyclable through existing services – equating to around 30,000 tonnes of recyclable materials being landfilled at a cost of £3.5million a year.

Sending materials to landfill costs much more than recycling, so not only does maximising the value of a material benefit the environment, it also frees up money for other essential council services.

A new waste strategy was recently agreed to improve the way Aberdeenshire deals with the resources it consumes, but changes to kerbside bin collections are not expected until April 2020.

Meantime residents should continue to try to make the most of the materials they consume and dispose of using current recycling arrangements.

Residents are encouraged to get in touch with Recycling and Waste Aberdeenshire Facebook page if they are unsure on how to dispose of any material not listed in the guide.

To see the A-Z of materials and how to best dispose of them, see: http://bit.ly/AshireAZ