The Council’s Waste Services and Highland Community Waste Partnership
Understand current and future developments
HIGHLAND COUNCIL WASTE SERVICES
Developing projects that chime with the Council’s current and planned services
If there is not a garden waste or food waste collection service or the distances to carry waste to a Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC) is considered long, this is where a community composting project could particularly provide a valuable service to your community, managing the waste locally and providing a compost that can be used by householders or community growing projects – providing environmental benefits, reducing costs and providing an opportunity for the development of local skills.
It makes sense to understand what services the council is aiming to provide before setting up a project. For example, if a household food waste collection service is being planned for your community this might impact your own plans. It is therefore important to speak to council officers to understand what is being considered for the future. You can access the council’s website on waste and recycling here and click on the “contact us” button if you would like to make an enquiry.
The food waste collection service
In 2024, The Highland Council implemented a service change to their waste collections across Highland. This included expanding their food waste collection service to an additional 30,000 households. Full details can be found on the Highland Council website.
The garden waste service
The garden waste collection service runs from 1 September to 31 August each year with a winter break in December, January and February. This is a permit system, with up to three permits per household possible. This has a cost which is reviewed annually, and you can find out more about this if you go to the council’s home page for garden waste.
The collection service for garden waste at many locations across the regions and you can find out if a collection from your community is possible using the postcode finder. The service is optional, and householders are also able to take their garden waste along to one of the 21 household waste recycling centres free of charge, although in Highland region it is understood that this can often involve a significant journey.
What the council currently does with food and garden waste collected
Food waste collected from households and businesses in the Inverness-shire area is bulked in the city before being hauled to the private sector business, Keenan Recycling, where it is then processed at its in-vessel composting facility in Turriff. Garden waste collected by the council is taken to Inverness where it is bulked before also being sent to Keenans.
HIGHLAND COMMUNITY WASTE PARTNERSHIP
Keep Scotland Beautiful (KSB) has received National Lottery Funding to establish and manage a Highland Waste Partnership. The three-year project starting in April 2022 will work with eight partner community groups to deliver a programme of activity which aims to reduce waste and build a movement for more sustainable consumption across the Highlands.
- Thurso Community Development Trust
- Lairg and District learning centre
- Broadford and Strath Community Company
- Ullapool Community Trust
- Transition Black Isle
- Velocity Café and Bicycle Workshop
- Lochaber Environment Group
- The Highland Good Food Partnership
Each of these community groups will be employing a staff member through the funding to drive forward a programme in their area. Each partner will lead on activities that match their interests and expertise, but the partners will collaborate to share learning and resources and connect activities.
The key outcomes for the project are:
Outcome 1: Increase public understanding of how unsustainable consumption choices and patterns contribute to climate change
Outcome 2: Increase use of pre-loved, repaired and shared goods.
Outcome 3: Reduce food waste and lower emissions related to residual food waste.
Outcome 4: Reduce single-used items and unnecessary packaging and improve recycling of residual.