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Booking system scrapped at Aberdeenshire recycling centres in bid to tackle fly-tipping

Inverurie Recycling Centre. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson
Inverurie Recycling Centre. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Booking systems are to be scrapped at recycling centres across Aberdeenshire in an effort to tackle fly-tipping.

The booking system was introduced after the Covid lockdown in March 2020.

But now residents in the Banff and Buchan and Buchan and Marr wards will no longer need to book a slot from Monday November 28.

A hybrid booking system will be in place at recycling centres across Formartine including Ellon. Picture: Kirstie Topp/DC Thomson

Meanwhile a hybrid system will be introduced across Formartine recycling sites.

This means residents will get to choose between booking an allocated slot or turning up on Wednesdays and Saturdays when booking won’t be needed.

The decision on what will happen at centres in Kincardine and Mearns and Garioch will be made at a later date following further debate by councillors.

What did Aberdeenshire Council propose for recycling centres?

Council bosses had put forward two options for consideration.

Option 1

  • Non-booking days (Wednesday and Saturday) at the busier centres in Peterhead, Banchory, Stonehaven and Macduff.
  • Booking systems retained everywhere else.

Option 2

  • Remove booking system in Banff and Buchan, Buchan and Marr.
  • Hybrid options at Kincardine and Mearns and Formartine.
  • Booking system retained in Garioch.

What happened at the meeting?

Stonehaven and Lower Deeside councillor Alan Turner suggested the council press ahead with the second option – but asked for the Kincardine and Mearns area committee to have the final say on sites in the area.

Councillor Marion Ewanson supported the idea but asked if the Garioch area committee could decide what happens there.

But councillor Glen Reid called for a hybrid system across all sites.

He asked for an even split of booking and non-booking times to make it “as fair as possible”.

He was defeated by nine votes to four.

Changes are what Aberdeenshire constituents want

Council leader councillor Mark Findlater believes that removing the booking system is “the right choice”.

Aberdeenshire Council leader councillor Mark Findlater

He said: “Across Banff and Buchan, Buchan and Marr, the area committees there believed that stopping the booking system was the best way forward going by the amount of fly-tipping and reduction in recycling.

“Instead of taking it up to the recycling centre to put in the green waste people would put it in their general waste bins.

“We’ve been listening to our constituents and that’s what they want.”

But he said that all of the areas were different and changes could come once the trial period is over.

He added: “The whole thing is going to be monitored to see if the recycling does get better and to see if there is less fly-tipping.”

Changes to the Aberdeenshire recycling centres will be implemented at the end of next month

What will happen next?

Kincardine and Mearns and Garioch area committees will decide the best way forward for their recycling centres within the next few weeks.

The changes will come into force on Monday November 28 and will run through to July next year.

Data collected during the trial period will be given to council officers to determine the next steps.

You can watch the meeting here.

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