Sweeping changes to refuse collections

Dumfries and Galloway Council staff were in The Buccleuch Centre on Monday 25^th November explaining their proposed waste collection scheme to members of the public. Display boards and staff were on hand to talk people through the proposals.

This scheme is likely to be rolled out to Eskdale in November 2020 and most households will be given three bins – grey for residual waste, blue for paper and card and red for cans, plastic bottles, pots, tubs, trays and cartons.There are two main reasons for the change – cost and a directive from Scottish Government in the ‘Household Waste in Scotland’ code of practice 2016. This sets out key requirements for the provision of recycling services.Different bins will be collected on different weeks and for households which don’t have room for additional bins suitable bags will be provided. Food waste will not be collected separately in our area but it will be in Gretna, Annan, Lockerbie, Dumfries, Dalbeattie and Stranraer.From 2020 the Scottish Government is proposing to introduced a deposit return scheme for cans, glass and plastic bottles. There is likely to be vending machines where you can take these and the bar code will be scanned. Dumfries and Galloway Council hope they can raise revenue through the new refuse collection process rather than paying other companies to remove and deal with our waste.

Senior technician Kevin Brown of Dumfries and Galloway Council said “Hopefully this time next year the scheme will be rolled out. Households will be given a calendar to remind them which bin is collected on which day and week as there will be different weeks for uplift.Currently the Ecodeco plant shreds our rubbish, dries it and then separates waste into different materials. Refined materials are dispatched for further treatment, disposal or recycling while sold outputs such as glass and stone are removed before the rest is incinerated.Bill Barbour attended the exhibition in the Buccleuch Centre and said“Personally, I think they should have big communal bins for cardboard, paper, glass and plastics that people can take their rubbish to. I realise that might be difficult for older people or those without a car. “I take all my stuff to Carlisle – paper, cardboard to a recycling point. “Langholm is not a suitable place for all these bins. We have narrow footpaths and they’re already full of bins. What’s it going to be like? I’m all for recycling but I think they’re going the wrong way about it for Langholm. “For example in Holmwood Crescent there are about twenty steps up to some houses before you start. “It will also be difficult to remember which week to put which bin out.”

Grace Brown who lives in Walter Street said “I have plenty of room for three bins so that would be okay but the number of bins across the town, if multiplied, will not help beautify the town. For folk who don’t have room the bins will occupy the pavements. “I’d like to know if ‘residual waste’ includes garden waste.” A Langholm resident who wished to remain nameless said “Some houses have one front door but two flats which would mean six wheelie bins outside their sole access. If you were looking to buy a flat the six wheelie bins would be off putting.”