Members of Council’s Environment and Regeneration Committee have endorsed the next phase in the roll out of brown food waste bins to rural areas.
During its monthly meeting today, the Committee received a report today confirming that 4,000 new bins would be delivered to homes over the coming weeks.
The bins are used for the recycling of food and garden waste, and will go towards filling gaps in the service which has been received positively by local households since it was first rolled out.
Members had approved funding through the 2024/25 rates estimates process to address the deficit in resourcing the scheme.
They were told that 8,000 homes had been identified as needing a brown bin, and deliveries of bins to the first 4,000 households will commence during the month of September.
Officers estimate this will take from 8 to 10 weeks to complete, and plans are also being developed for the remaining properties to follow in the coming months.
The Committee heard that an application is being developed for funding to DAERA’s Household Waste Recycling Collaborative Change Programme for further funding to assist with providing the resources needed to expand the service.
Welcoming the plans, Chair of the Committee, Alderman Keith Kerrigan, said he was delighted to see homes in rural areas set to benefit from the scheme.
“To date pressures on collection services has meant that many rural households have been unable to avail of the many wide ranging benefits of the scheme.
“This rollout will allow more residents to divert their food and garden waste from their black bin into brown bin which will have a positive impact on Council’s recycling targets and climate change mitigations.
“An information campaign will now begin to ensure all households are aware of the changes, and we ask people to be patient while these services are introduced.”
A letter will be issued to all the homes about to be added to the service, with details of when to leave the brown bin out for collection as well as an information leaflet with advice and tips on how to use the service.
Council officers have made every effort to match the brown bin collection day with the household’s existing black or blue collection day, however there may be some instances where this is not logistically possible.
Details for collection will be clearly outlined within the letter forming part of the delivery set.
Collection schedules have also been updated on Council’s Recycling App to reflect this rollout and users can also access extensive information on recycling.
For any queries, teams can be contacted by telephone on 028 71 374 107 or via email at refuse&[email protected]
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