Residents in Hamilton, Quarter, Bothwell, Uddingston and Blantyre will receive the new bins during the first phase of the roll-out, with 30,000 containers, supplied by manufacturer MGB Plastics, being delivered between May 18 and June 26 2015.
MGB, which is a part of the One51 manufacturing group has previously distributed around 103,000 140L residual waste bins on behalf of the local authority.
The council is still tendering for a supplier for bins to be distributed in the subsequent phases of the operation. South Lanarkshire is one of the 32 councils signed up to the Scotland Excel framework contract, which aims to streamline the tendering process for councils, and includes a lot for procurement of refuse and recycling containers.
The move is part of an overall programme to improve recycling services for households across South Lanarkshire in line with the council’s statutory obligation to provide a separate food waste collection service.
Householders will receive a burgundy food waste caddy for use in the kitchen, together with a supply of 150 bio-degradable lining bags which, when used up, will be replaced free on request.
According to South Lanarkshire council, once the kitchen caddy is full, householders should empty it into their outdoor burgundy wheeled bin, which was previously used for glass recycling but will now be used exclusively for food waste and compostable garden waste, such as grass cutting and hedge clippings.
South Lanarkshire residents living in houses rather than flats will also receive a new grey wheeled bin for recyclable materials such as glass, cans, plastics bottles, milk cartons, butter containers, aerosols, cleaning spray bottles and bleach bottles.
As a result, residents’ existing blue bin will now be exclusively for paper and cardboard “ensuring that this remains clean and uncontaminated”. Meanwhile, any residual waste will continue being collected in black/green wheeled bins and emptied every two weeks, alternating with the recycling bins.
Then, from September 2015, the new collection service will be rolled out to residents in flats in the Hamilton area, where food waste caddies will be delivered alongside new communal food waste bins for each block of flats.
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Residents will receive an information booklet on the changes when their new food waste caddies are delivered, and it is hoped that all areas of South Lanarkshire will be included in the new recycling scheme by the end of 2016.
The East Kilbride area will receive the new service in early 2016, Rutherglen and Cambuslang areas mid-2016 and Ferniegair, Larkhall, Ashgill, Stonehouse together with the towns and villages in the Clydesdale area by the end of 2016.
In 2014, South Lanarkshire’s recycling rate was 45.6%, but the council claims it is “well on the way” to reaching the Scottish Government’s target to recycle 60% of waste by 2020.
Councillor Hamish Stewart, chair of South Lanarkshire’s community services committee, said: “We know this new service will take a bit of getting used to, and we’re asking for everyone’s co-operation and patience as we introduce the changes.
Councillor Stewart added: “If you already receive help with moving your bins there is no need to worry, as this system will continue as part of the new waste collection service.”
He added: “Feedback on the new service is vital to its success. During the initial Hamilton phase customer satisfaction and participation surveys will take place as will tonnage and waste composition analysis. All this information will help the next phases in the roll out of the new collection service.”
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