Recycling centres to allow pedestrian access and increased flexibility

Recycling centres to allow pedestrian access and increased flexibility

Following public feedback and a review of user behaviour at household recycling centres (HRCs),

Aberdeenshire Council is introducing improved services at centres this week.

Beginning tomorrow (Wednesday, July 29), booking slots will be reduced from 30 minutes to 15 minutes to reduce queues at the start of appointments. With the majority of residents arriving at the start of their 30-minute time slots and visits completed within 10-15 minutes, this change will be more suited to the visiting patterns of residents.

The number of available bookings at Insch and Portsoy will also increase from 36 to 96 per week.

Beginning on Saturday, August 1, residents will be allowed to book 8 slots over a 4-week period, rather than the current 2 slots per week. This change will allow people with specific projects (i.e. gardening or home renovations) to access their local site more frequently over a short period of time.

August 1 will also see a change at the centres in Portsoy, Insch, Westhill, Fraserburgh, Huntly, Turriff and Laurencekirk. These sites will allow pedestrians to enter between 12:00 and 12:30 every day. Pedestrian access will not require a booking.

Claire Loney, Reprocessing and Disposal Manager at Aberdeenshire Council, said: “After listening to your feedback, these changes aim to address more specific needs and offer greater flexibility for the public.

“These new arrangements are a step closer towards ‘normality’, and we hope they are met with the same success as previously plans.

“The booking system will remain in place for the time being to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and I would like to thank residents for their continued support and patience as we enter this new stage.”

To make a booking, please visit: www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/recyclingcentrebookings

For those who do not have access to a computer, telephone bookings can be made by calling Aberdeenshire Council’s Wasteline on 03456 081207.

Aberdeenshire Council also operate seasonal garden waste recycling points on Saturdays until October 31 at the following locations:

Balmedie: Leisure Centre car park, Eigie Road 1pm to 4pm

Newmachar: The Axis Centre, School Road, 8am to 11am

Oldmeldrum: Academy bus car park, Colpy Road, 1pm to 4pm

For more information on Household Recycling Centres, including operating times, please visit: http://bit.ly/AbshireHRC.

 

Scams exploiting COVID-19

Scams centred on exploiting COVID-19 have become prevalent in recent months. Everything from government grants and furlough payments, to mortgage holidays and demands for payment of fines, are being targeted by scammers utilising ever more sophisticated methods.

Many scammers are using “phishing” and “smishing” (the term for phishing by SMS/text message) techniques to obtain sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details. They do this by disguising themselves as a trustworthy organisation in an email or text message, then by offering refunds or demanding payments, then direct the recipients to enter personal information on a fake website which matches the look and feel of the legitimate site.

The Scottish Government’s latest cyber resilience bulletin has details on a number of specific scam to watch out for, along with advice on steps you can take and sources of guidance and help.

TARVES PLAYGROUP 2020

? We have funded and non funded spaces available ?
The Playgroup is registered to provide a day care of children service to a maximum of 20 children aged from 2 years to those not yet attending primary school.
In partnership with the local authority the service provides funded pre-school education for children aged from three to five years and for eligible two year olds.
We’re open Monday to Friday 9am – 12.30pm. We offer full or half sessions.
If you’d like more information on joining the group please email tarvessecretary@outlook.com

A bit of botany for beginners

A bit more botany for beginners

Saturday 4 July was not just an important day in the release from lockdown, but  marked #NationalMeadowsDay, an opportunity to celebrate one of the UK’s most beautiful, and now increasingly vanishing, habitats.  The scale of  loss of species rich grassland is incredible, with 7.5 million acres – that’s over 97% – of the UK’s meadows and other flower-rich grasslands lost since the 1930s. When you think that one acre of species-rich grassland can be home to nine million flowers on a single day in summer, that’s a lot of flowers, pollen and nectar as insect feed, missing from the countryside. While this in itself  may seem a concern only to a few specialists, it’s actually a lot more important than that.  Two thirds of all crop species are insect pollinated, and the lack of pollinators, especially bees, is causing serious financial loss worldwide. Wildlife agencies and charities are agreed that heavily mown grasslands are in effect, “green deserts”, providing very limited biodiversity and, particularly, food for insects, hence also restricting numbers of birds that would otherwise feed on these. For example, see Alys Fowler’s piece in the Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2019/apr/24/why-you-should-turn-lawn-into-wildflower-meadow.

There are several areas within villages that with a bit less aggressive cutting and some planting could be transformed into something much more interesting.  There may even be funding for this from organisations such as Grow Wild (https://www.growwilduk.com/).

If anyone is interested, my own bit of species-rich grassland is just coming towards its best.

Dick Morris

NORTH-EAST RESIDENTS CAN NOW MAKE TWO BOOKINGS WITHIN SEVEN DAYS TO ACCESS HOUSEHOLD RECYCLING CENTRES (HRCS).

Following the tremendous success of the online booking system for its HRCs, Aberdeenshire Council is now moving through the phases of its return to ‘normal’ services.

With the process working so well, the twice-weekly trips for cars, pick-ups and car-derived vans carrying bagged general waste and garden waste have been introduced to further increase household access to an HRC.

Meanwhile, from Wednesday, June 10 cardboard and glass will be accepted and from Monday, June 15 this will be extended to all usual waste materials – including mixed recycling, bulky items, oils, wood and metal. From June 15 we no longer require waste to be bagged.

However, please note that we cannot accept textiles at Inverurie, Huntly, Ellon and Westhill recycling centres at this stage as our contractor is unable to collect from these locations at present. These services will be reintroduced as soon as possible.

Residents will no longer be assigned to a bay, but are instead requested to take their materials into the correct skips while maintaining physical-distancing. The number of people visiting a centre at the same time has been limited to make sure this is possible.

From June 22, booking slots will be available for vans and trailers to access the centres. Residents should ensure they make a booking specifically for a van or trailer as they require more space than other vehicles.

Our Reuse containers at selected Household Recycling Centres remain closed at this time.

You can make your booking at www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/recyclingcentrebookings

For those who do not have access to a computer, telephone booking can be made by calling Aberdeenshire Council’s Wasteline on 03456 081207.

The rules on physical-distancing remain and only one adult should unload a vehicle unless two adults are needed for heavy items.

Staff will be unable to assist with any unloading and there will be no pedestrian access and no children will be permitted outside vehicles.

The decision to re-open some of the facilities has been taken in accordance with Government guidelines and is based on measures being put in place to protect both visitors and staff and the agreement of traffic management plans.

The Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) now in operation are Peterhead, Macduff, Fraserburgh, Ellon, Inverurie, Huntly, Turriff, Westhill, Banchory, Laurencekirk, Portlethen and Redcloak at Stonehaven. Meanwhile, planning for the reopening of the smaller facilities at Insch and Portsoy continues.

Council waste manager Ros Baxter said: “Thanks to the new arrangements and the tremendous help and support of both residents and our staff, phase one of the reopening schedule has been an outstanding success.

“As we stressed from the start, that patience and understanding within our communities has enabled us to progress through the phases of reopening far quicker than planned, and allowed us to significantly increase the type of materials being accepted and the introduction of vans and trailers to our facilities.

“However, I would remind residents that the booking system is likely to remain in place as long as physical-distancing is required to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”

Aberdeenshire Council has also reintroduced its seasonal garden waste points for the summer. They reopened on Saturday, June 6 with some new locations and opening times being introduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

These sites are only to be used for grass clippings and small trimmings – not for larger trees and bushes which take up too much space. From June 15, such items can be taken to one of the Household Recycling Centres.

The seasonal garden waste recycling points operate on Saturdays from June 6 to October 31 at:
Aboyne: Station Square car park, 8am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3pm from June 6-27 and 12pm to 3pm from July 4 onwards
Alford: Transport Museum car park, 8am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3pm
Ballater: Roads Depot, South Deeside Road, 8am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3pm from June 6 to 27 and 8am to 11am from July 4 onwards
Balmedie: Leisure Centre car park, Eigie Road 1pm to 4pm
Blackburn: School car park, Fintray Road, 8am to 11am
Inverbervie: Beach Front Car Park, off Kirkburn, 12pm to 3pm
Kemnay: Birley Bush Council depot, 8am to 11am
Kintore: Midmill School car park, Carnie Road, 1pm to 4pm
Mintlaw: Aden Country Park, 8am to 12pm and 12.30pm to 3pm
Newmachar: The Axis Centre, School Road, 8am to 11am
Newtonhill: Bettridge Centre car park, 8am to 11.40am
Oldmeldrum: Academy bus car park, Colpy Road, 1pm to 4pm
St Cyrus: Ecclesgreig Road Car Park, 8am to 11am

For more information on the Household Recycling Centres which are open and their operating times, visit https://online.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/apps/news/release.aspx…

RESPONSIBLE WASTE DISPOSAL

Responsible Waste Disposal

Cllr Paul Johnston
Aberdeenshire has, unlike many local Councils, kept a full collection system for waste and recycling for each household.  But it did shut the HWRC (Household Waste Recycling Centres). For any questions about what to do, the Council have issued guidance and are asking people to sign up for their app on your smart phone.  Its there to make our lives easier.

“Information on changes to waste services is available on https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/waste/waste-covid-19/.

More advice and updates are also available on the Council service Facebook page and residents are also encouraged to sign up to bin notifications on the myAberdeenshire mobile app.”

More info :

Council advises residents to dispose of waste responsibly during Covid-19 lockdown

With recycling centres and seasonal garden waste collection points suspended due to Coronavirus (Covid-19), Aberdeenshire Council is asking residents to follow Government guidance and manage their waste responsibly during this difficult time.

Unfortunately, it was necessary to close recycling centres on March 24th in line with Scottish Government’s advice. The sites were closed for the following reasons:

  • To discourage non-essential travel – we should only go out for food, health reasons and work (if home-working is not possible)

  • To focus resources on household waste collections, as service disruptions are expected as a result of Council staff illnesses

Trips to recycling centres are not considered essential travel based on government guidelines, so in the interest of public health and safety sites will not re-open until it is safe to do so.

With many of us now in lockdown at home, some households may be producing more waste than usual and the closure of recycling centres is making that more of a challenge than normal.

Residents should not be tempted to burn their waste or resort to fly-tipping. Residents and businesses should also be wary of unsolicited approaches from anybody offering to dispose of waste for a fee without checking the service is being provided by a licensed trader. This includes offers made on social media.

The Council is unable to collect loose bags and rubbish alongside household bins. All waste must be contained within bins, as handling bags and loose materials poses a direct health risk to bin crews.

If you’re struggling to cope with the amount of waste in your bins, below are some tips for maximising space:

  • Recycle as much as you can. Materials that are accepted in your household recycling bin include: Paper, card and cardboard; plastics (i.e. bottles, pots, tubs and trays); metals (i.e. tins, cans, aerosols and foil); and cartons (i.e. food and drink tetra-paks).

  • Take advantage of your food caddy for all food waste. This includes tea bags and coffee grounds, fruit and vegetable peelings, out-of-date food (i.e. meat and fish), plate scrapings and leftovers, etc.

  • Compress your rubbish bags before putting them in your refuse bin. But please don’t be tempted to stand in your bins, as they’re tapered and your bags might get stuck and not empty into the lorry.

  • Break down recyclable goods (i.e. cereal boxes) and squish air out of bottles and plastic containers (i.e. milk cartons and juice bottles). You can also stack plastic pots or slot items inside each other to create extra space.

  • Avoid buying non-essential items or materials with excessive packaging, where possible.

  • If you’re making online purchases, any resulting boxes, bubble wrap or plastic wrapping can be safely stored out of your bins until the lockdown is lifted.

  • Glass bins are still being emptied, so take your glass with you to the supermarket when you go for your shop.

  • Think twice before starting a clear-out, as you may have to hold on to the waste until recycling centres reopen.

Ros Baxter, Waste Manager at Aberdeenshire Council, said: “As the weather gets nicer, many residents are beginning to garden and tidy up their outdoor space.

“The most environmentally friendly option for managing garden waste is home composting – garden waste can even be composted in a heap, or in a compost bin if you already have one. There is plenty of information available online for composting at home and building your own compost bin.

“If you only produce grass cuttings, try mixing them with an equal amount of shredded cardboard. They can also be used for mulching flower beds and nourishing the soil beneath hedges and bushes.

“We also ask residents to refrain from burning garden waste. Garden bonfires are detrimental to local air quality, may impact your health and that of your neighbours, along with adversely affecting neighbours with smoke and odour.”

Philip McKay, Head of Roads, Landscape, and Waste Services, added: “We understand many householders rely on our services, including the recycling centres, but these temporary changes have been necessary to protect the core kerbside collections. Please know we are doing our best to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on communities, but unfortunately there will need to be compromises until the restrictions are lifted.

“I commend all the hardworking waste staff for their dedication and flexibility. I would also like to thank members of the public for their support, patience and cooperation during this difficult time.”

For a complete list of materials that are accepted in your household recycling bin: http://bit.ly/Recycling-A-Z

For information and advice on home-composting: http://www.recycleforscotland.com/reduce/home-composting

For ideas on how to build a home compost bin by reusing materials:

https://www.diyncrafts.com/33618/home/gardening/35-cheap-easy-diy-compost-bins-can-build-weekend

For more information on changes to recycling and waste services during the Covid-19 outbreak, please see https://www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/waste/waste-covid-19/

Follow us on Facebook for regular service updates at http://facebook.com/AberdeenshireWaste/ or sign up for the myAberdeenshire app.