New waste collections are being arranged for Glasgow North East, which currently has a recycling rate of 29 per cent.
The new schedule will introduce a co-mingled collection covering most dry recyclables, including paper, card, cans and plastic bottles, in a 240-litre blue bin collected fortnightly. Glass will be collected separately in a purple bin once every eight weeks.
Food and garden waste will also be collected together on a fortnightly basis in a 240-litre brown bin. Glasgow City Council is writing directly to each household affected, with educational brochures explaining the service change and waste hierarchy.
The changes, which are expected to increase Glasgow’s uptake of food waste recycling and dry, mixed recycling, are planned to be rolled out in the week commencing 16 November to a total of 44,000 households.
Alongside the increase in recycling capacity for households, the Council is reducing the frequency of residual waste collection to once every three weeks.
Councillor Anna Richardson, City Convener for Sustainability and Carbon Reduction, said: “All the evidence shows that as a city we are not using our bins as they can be. Far too much waste that could easily be recycled is going to landfill or is being reprocessed at far too high a cost to the taxpayer.
“An aluminium can or plastic drinks bottle is the wrong bin ultimately means money lost for the taxpayer. Dumping food waste, paper, cardboard or glass in the general bin is like chucking money away as it is much more expensive to process general waste.
“By rebalancing the collection arrangements for kerbside collections we are aiming to ensure we deal efficiently with the waste generated by city households. Separating out our waste and putting it in the right bin can have significant financial and environmental benefits.”
The updated collection schedule is in line with Zero Waste Scotland’s Charter for Household Recycling in Scotland, a declaration of intent to provide adequate recycling services and encourage citizens to reduce, reuse and recycle waste.
Clr Richardson maintained that the new arrangements will ‘put Glasgow in step with the national benchmark of the Household Recycling Charter and will help to make the city as sustainable as possible’.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.