RSS Press releases

The way that we collect your household waste in Wigtownshire is changing come November time. Earlier this week, we issued leaflets to every household in Wigtownshire to explain when the changes would come into effect, why we are making the changes and what it will mean for the household.

The main change is that each household will now have wheelie bins [or sacks] instead of the recycling boxes. As well as this, we’ll be continuing to collect a wider range of recyclables, from yoghurt pots and fruit juice cartons to dog food tins and shampoo bottles.  Glass will now be collected from local recycling points and not at kerbside.

Delivery of the new bins/sacks will commence on 2 November, but it’s not just the bins will be delivering. We will issue collection calendars, so you know what bin to put out when, as well as information on exactly what to put in each bin.  To make things easier for householders, collection days will remain the same, albeit a different bin will be collected on each week, to ensure we are keeping all three of your bins at a suitable level.  Our dedicated page on www.dumgal.gov.uk/wasterecycling contains lots of up to date information for householders.

For those who live elsewhere in the region, this will become the norm for them too, as the rollout comes to the rest of Dumfries and Galloway in Summer 2021.  Wigtownshire was chosen as the first area to rollout as residents have had their recycling collected from the kerbside for the past few years, albeit using boxes rather than bins.  The boxes Wigtownshire residents used for recycling are theirs to keep, and the trolleys that some residents used to present their waste can be collected back in by the Council in due course.  Again, householders will receive information through their door on this process. A free uplift service is available and can be booked by phoning our Contact Centre on 030 33 33 3000. 

Chairman of the Council’s Communities Committee, Councillor Andy Ferguson said ahead of the rollout:

“Residents in Wigtownshire are well used to recycling their household waste.  This new and improved system is the first major step to creating consistency across the region and will see us move in line with the rest of the country in terms of how we collect household waste.  It’s a big step forward for our Council and I for one am looking forward to playing my part in helping reduce and recycle my household waste.”

Dumfries and Galloway Council has worked with partner agency Zero Waste Scotland on the new rollout provision throughout the project.

Zero Waste Scotland’s Claire Munro, Recycling and Deposit Return Communications Manager commented:

“Around four fifths of Scotland’s carbon footprint comes from the goods, materials and services which we produce. To reduce our carbon footprint and tackle the climate crisis we all need to play our part and keep materials in use for longer. Improving Wigtownshire’s recycling service is a step in the right direction and means we will be able to recycle more items than before including plastic pots, tubs and trays and food and drink cartons. Capturing these for recycling makes a difference and helps protect our environment.”

All of this news comes in the midst of Recycling Week.  Councillor John Martin, who sits as Vice Chairman of the Communities Committee said;

“Residents in other parts of the region have been doing their bit in relation to recycling, albeit without kerbside collection to this point.  We have seen our Household Waste Recycling Centres fully booked on many occasions since they reopened.  Our residents are keen to recycle and by early summer next year the whole of Dumfries and Galloway will have their recycled household waste collected at the kerbside.”