Environment / Recycling scheme could expand to include more plastic items
However some concern has been raised at the idea of all house waste being collected in wheelie bins
THE HOUSEHOLD recycling scheme in Shetland could expand to include more plastic items like pots, tubs and trays.
Other ideas mooted include expanding the recycling scheme to also include soft plastics like crisp packets, reusable bags and sweet wrappers.
Councillors were given an update on Monday on potential future changes to the scheme, although nothing has been set in stone just yet.
There could also be trials of wheelie bin-style glass recycling points in Shetland, as well as more drop-off bins for used batteries and electronic equipment.
Meanwhile the idea of moving to an “all-wheelie bin” household waste service has also been mooted for discussion, which would help with the logistics of collection and handling, as well as hygiene.
Some councillors raised concern about this, however, particularly regarding elderly people and also how wheelie bins fare in windy, exposed places.
However members were told this is likely to feature in a householder survey set to be carried out as a consultation on waste management.
The current household recycling scheme, which involves grey and blue lidded wheelie bins, was introduced in 2018 to help boost recycling rates.
In Shetland in 2017/18 only 7.88 per cent of household waste was recycled, but in 2024/25 it reached 21.32 per cent.
Locally household rubbish in black bags is burned in Shetland Islands Council’s energy recovery plant, with waste heat from this process used for the Lerwick district heating system.
There is also the nearby landfill site, where waste which cannot be recycled or incinerated is buried.
In addition there are also so-called ‘bring points’ scattered across Shetland for collection of glass, textiles and household batteries.
A new draft household waste and recycling collection policy was approved by councillors on SIC’s environment and transport committee on Monday morning.
Unlike most other local authorities the SIC has never had a formal collection policy, although a report to members said there were four “mini policies” written when the recycling scheme was rolled out.
The aim of the policy is to consolidate these four strands and provide a “clear structure” to service delivery.
Another key element is that the “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) scheme was introduced in Scotland in April, which results in producers of products being financially responsible for the “end-of-life management” of their packaging.
This comes with the aim of boosting recycling and incentivising more sustainable packaging.
Funding from the Scottish Government will be given to each local authority in the country, with the expectation that recycling services are improved and new initiatives are implemented.
The EPR payment to SIC is estimated at £2.4 million for 2025/26, and councillors were told that the local authority could lose 20 per cent of this payment “if their services are deemed ineffective or inefficient”.
“It is in the council’s best interest to ensure that we improve our recycling and continue to receive funding at the highest level possible,” the report added.
“If we were to lose 20 per cent it could potentially be as much as £483k, so the cost of rolling out our proposals is minimal compared to losing this payment.”
The report to councillors highlighted five proposals to expand the recycling scheme, which could cost around £34,000 to implement. This additional budget still needs to be signed off at future council meetings.
One proposal is to increase glass drop-off points, including a trial to introduce additional glass recycling bins in Shetland’s more populated areas such as Lerwick, Scalloway, Sandwick and Brae before rolling it out elsewhere.
These would replace the current large ‘beehive’ bins with wheelie bins, as this would allow the SIC to collect material “in-house” rather than hiring a contractor.
It is also hoped that additional bins would increase the amount of glass collected and therefore income for the council, while also lessening the risk of shutdown at the energy recovery plant – as glass burned there can caused a gradual build-up of slag in the furnace.
There is also a proposal to roll out more battery collection points in shops across Shetland, which could reduce the fire risk at landfill, as well as drop-off pints for waste electronic equipment.
The latter would be in large bins, although any item of good working order would still be taken to re-use facilities.
These proposals could cost £28,340 in the shape of 110 glass recycling bins, 35 battery boxes and 20 electrical equipment recycling bins.
There is also the proposal to expand the current kerbside to collect pots, tubs and trays which could go in the current grey-lidded bins.
Environment and estate operations manager Carl Symons said this could be rolled out quickly.
He was responding after Green councillor Alex Armitage said he has a cupboard “overflowing” with Shetland butter tubs, and questioned if it could be fast-tracked.
Symons also clarified that recycling more plastics like pots and tubs, and burning less of them, would not generally have a negative impact on the operations of the energy recovery plant.
The report added that that sending away plastic bottles for recycling along with pots, tubs and trays “means we will lose £16.15 per tonne” in income.
“Our current annual average is 110 tonnes at the moment,” it continued.
“That equates to a loss of £1,776.50 per year offset by a significant retention in Scottish Government funding. It is clearly in the council’s interest to begin collecting this additional material.”
Lastly, there is a future proposal which is being led by Zero Waste Scotland regarding adding soft plastics like crisp packets and wrappers to household recycling.
No changes have yet been put in place, so for now people need to continue to only recycle the items being collected at moment.
Symons also highlighted there could be potential for a funding bid to be submitted to Zero Waste Scotland’s Recycling Improvement Fund.
He also confirmed that the SIC has been picked as pilot area for a UK-wide extended producer responsibility scheme.
At Monday’s meeting Shetland Central member Catherine Hughson said she would have like to have seen a cost benefit analysis of the enhanced measures, but the message back was that the SIC stood to lose more than £400,000 in funding the recycling service was not improved.
Meanwhile North Isles member Robert Thomson raised the topic of the carbon impact of shipping material away for recycling.
Symons said that was “one of those great imponderables” but said the SIC as far as practicable uses licensed recycling facilities.
He added that the local authority would “avoid as much as we can” materials being sent elsewhere.
Meanwhile elected members were quick to remind officials that any changes to how household waste is collected need to be communicated effectively with the public.
Symons said to that end officers will enlist the help of community planning and development to help spread the word.
Armitage also spoke up for potentially using other social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to get the message out, particularly to younger people.
“I think we really need to be able to engage positively with all audiences,” he said.
Meanwhile in debate environment and transport committee chair Moraig Lyall said “we have to recognise that all the waste we produce has a cost” – for the planet, and the council.
She also said one of the expected outcomes from the extended producer responsibility scheme is that companies will find ways to reduce the amount of packaging they are using – hopefully cutting down on waste.
Lyall also said that the £2.4 million funding is a “significant contribution to our budget” and that enhancing the household waste scheme should result in a “slicker service”.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its readers to consider paying for membership to get additional perks:
- Removal of third-party ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
