The SNP administration brought in changes to the operation of the recycling centres to generate a saving in the council’s revenue budget of £316K. Previously, residents could take any bulky waste, garden waste, recyclate etc. to any of the council’s three sites, Marchbanks, Baldovie and Riverside. As part of the rationalisation of the service all green waste must now be taken to the Riverside recycling centre.
Since the change was implemented I have been contacted by a number of constituents about the inconvenience this is going to cause. Broughty Ferry has many mature gardens which in the growing season will generate a great deal of garden waste.
I am aware that those residents who have complained to the environment department about it have been advised that they can order additional garden waste bins but for those with large gardens a twice a month collection over the growing season is inadequate regardless of the number of brown bins they might have, particularly for bulkier items of garden waste. There is also concern that the longer car journey generated by the change will see an increase in carbon emissions, which doesn’t make a lot of environmental sense.
I have asked the director of the council's environment department if this decision might be reviewed and I would also call on the administration to rethink this measure and allow garden waste to be taken to Baldovie.
