Fife has managed to launch the service a few weeks earlier than expected, having previously said it would collect film from March (see letsrecycle.com story).
Flexible material will be taken to the council’s materials recycling facility (MRF) in Dunfermline to be sorted and baled.
Fife council received £470,000 from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund to buy a Tomra Optical Sorter to help segregate the film.
Once the material has been sorted, Fife will send the baled plastic to Yes Recycling’s facility in Glenrothes to be turned into Ecosheet, a plywood alternative that can be used in construction, DIY, agriculture, and fabrication.
Supermarket chain Morrisons and food and beverage company Nestlé UK and Ireland have significant stakes in the facility (see letsrecycle.com story).
The film recycling project has been delivered by the Fife’s arm’s length external organisation, Cireco, which also carries out waste collections for the council.
Zero Waste Scotland is administering the Recycling Improvement Fund, which aims to help Scottish communities move to a more circular economy (see letsrecycle.com story).
‘First in Scotland’
Cllr Ross Vettraino, convener of Fife’s environment, and protective services sub-committee, said: “The council is very pleased to start accepting flexible plastics at the kerbside for recycling.
Fife council is leading the way
- Cllr Ross Vettraino, convener of Fife’s environment, and protective services sub-committee
“Fife council is leading the way and is the first council in Scotland to offer a kerbside collection service for soft plastics.
“Plastics including plastic bags, vegetable bags and wrappers, the film from the top of ready meal trays, plus pet food pouches and bubble wrap can now be deposited in the green bins.”
He added: “By recycling our plastic to make new products such as Ecosheets, we are moving away from using virgin raw materials and taking a step towards developing a circular economy.
“Not only are we helping reduce carbon emissions and combating climate change when we recycle our plastic, we also make a financial saving by avoiding the £100,000 cost of disposal and landfill tax each year.”
Fife
Representing an estimated population of more than 370,000, Fife council had a household waste recycling rate of 43.7% in 2020.
The council estimates that film makes up around 20% of the recycling it currently collects.
Subscribe for free