East Ayrshire council dedicates £10m to waste management overhaul

The investment will take waste services from a current £2 million overspend position to achieving a reoccurring £1.7 million annual saving.

The new model will allow the service to recover its costs and also improve the East Ayrshire’s recycling opportunities.

In February 2023, elected members requested a review of the brown bin calendar, charging arrangements and wider recycling policy. With the help of Zero Waste Scotland, a full review of waste management has been undertaken.

East Ayrshire council commissioned Eunomia Research and Consulting to conduct the review of the waste management service, and its recommendations are said to have informed the decisions taken by elected members at the meeting of council.

These decisions include:

• An investment of over £10m in waste services, including new vehicles and infrastructure, to expand and improve the service provided at kerbside over the next 10 years
• Within 18 to 24 months, the trolley system will be replaced by a four-wheelie bin service for residual waste, paper/card, plastic/tin and glass, with each bin being collected four-weekly, and will also include the collection of soft plastic films that will include fruit wrappings, and biscuit and crisp wrappers
• Food waste will continue to be collected weekly
• Funding will be sought to extend the communal block recycling initiative, ensuring that all East Ayrshire residents have access to recycling at home
• Garden waste collections will not change but the price will increase in April 2025 to £40 and thereafter prices will reflect the Scottish average cost
• The cost of bulky waste collections will increase in April 2025 to £39.80 for up to seven items – a 50% discount will be available for residents in receipt of qualifying benefits
• Any item that contains persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which is any upholstered domestic item, will be subject to a charge that reflects the cost of disposal
• A charge of £39.70 will be introduced for replacement residual waste bins from April 2025 – a 50% discount will be available for residents in receipt of qualifying benefits.

Preparing for the transition

Councillor Jim McMahon, spokesperson for housing, transport and communities, said: “The detailed and very thorough review of waste management services was an opportunity to overhaul the recycling service that we deliver to our communities now and in the future.

“There is a lot of work to be done before these changes come into place. We estimate that it will be 18 to 24 months before the new bin system is ready to roll out and, in that time, our community waste officers will be helping communities prepare to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. The roll-out of the new bins will be phased across communities and more detailed information will be provided at the right time as we approach the implementation stage.”