Full Council agrees investment of over £10m in waste services

The decisions taken were centred around a £10m capital investment that will take waste services from a current £2m overspend position to achieving a recurring £1.7m annual saving. The new model will allow the service to recover its costs and to take a strong position in terms of growing our commercial focus using strategic assets. It will also improve East Ayrshire recycling opportunities while continuing to work towards our climate change ambition by creating a further substantial reduction in carbon emissions.

In February 2023, elected members requested a review of the brown bin calendar, charging arrangements and wider recycling policy. With the help of Zero Waste Scotland, a full review of Waste Management has been undertaken, to create a more efficient and financially viable service that would better serve East Ayrshire communities and businesses - now and in the future.

East Ayrshire Council commissioned independent and sector-leading consultants - Eunomia Research and Consulting to conduct the review of the Waste Management service, and their recommendations informed the decisions taken by elected members at the meeting of Council. 

These include:  

• an investment of over £10m in waste services, including new vehicles and infrastructure, to expand and improve the service provided at kerbside over the next ten years
• within 18 to 24 months, the trolley system will be replaced by a four wheelie bin service for residual waste, paper/card, plastic/tin, and glass- with each bin being collected four weekly, and will also include the collection of soft plastic films that will include fruit wrappings, and biscuit and crisp wrappers
• food waste will continue to be collected weekly
• funding will be sought to extend the communal block recycling initiative, ensuring that all East Ayrshire residents have access to recycling at home
• garden waste collections will not change but the price will increase in April 2025 to £40 and thereafter prices will reflect the Scottish average cost
• the cost of bulky waste collections will increase in April 2025 to £39.80 for up to seven items - a 50% discount will be available for residents in receipt of qualifying benefits
• any item that contains ‘persistent organic pollutants’ (POPs), which is any upholstered domestic item, will be subject to a charge that reflects the cost of disposal
• a charge of £39.70 will be introduced for replacement residual waste bins from April 2025 - a 50% discount will be available for residents in receipt of qualifying benefits.

Councillor Jim McMahon, Spokesperson for Housing, Transport and Communities said: “The detailed and very thorough review of waste management services was an opportunity to overhaul the recycling service that we deliver to our communities now and in the future. The decisions taken by elected members will ensure that the Council is in a position to provide improved recycling at the kerbside thanks to an investment of over £10million in new vehicles and infrastructure that will also lead to significant savings of £1.7m a year.

“Over the last 12 years, changes to policy and legislation by both the UK and Scottish Governments, coupled with a volatile waste market in terms of both disposal contracts and the sale of recyclate, have placed significant financial pressure on the service. The pandemic changed life completely and this change in behaviours has greatly impacted the amount of waste that we are now disposing of at home. We also faced a very particular set of issues when we had to take over Garlaff and Southhook waste transfer and reclamation stations. Together, all of these issues create a very difficult set of circumstances that require us to challenge policy, take tough decisions and make changes to the way we deliver services.

“We know that some people will be delighted to get rid of their trolley while others will have reservations about having four wheelie bins, but the new service will make household recycling much easier, with increased capacity in larger bins.

“There is a lot of work to be done before these changes come into place - we estimate that it will be 18 to 24 months before the new bin system is ready to roll out and, in that time, our Community Waste Officers will be helping communities prepare to ensure the transition is as smooth as possible. The roll-out of the new bins will be phased across communities and more detailed information will be provided at the right time as we approach the implementation stage.

“To protect future service delivery, we have also had to take some difficult decisions. Price increases are unfortunately unavoidable if we are to recoup the cost of disposal, particularly for items that are classified as 'POPs'. Our new agreed rates for bulky uplifts still remain very competitive compared to the private sector but we would always encourage residents to try and recycle their furniture rather than throw it away, and many charities and local community organisations can help with this.”

The report considered by Full Council also includes a number of operational decisions and well as proposals for the introduction of a commercial waste service at Southhook and Garlaff waste transfer stations and the provision of a competitively priced waste disposal service for local businesses with a SEPA waste carrier’s licence. The full report is available on the Council’s website.

There are also FAQs on our website providing further information on the planned changes. 

Additional information 

SEPA issued new guidance in November 2023 that banned domestic upholstered seating containing persistent organic pollutants or POPs being sent to landfill. Enforcement began in January 2024. You can read more about POPs online. Guidance | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

East Ayrshire Council POPs disposal costs will be:

Sofa                                   £30

Sofa bed                            £40

Armchair                            £15

Dining room fabric chair     £5

Home office fabric chair     £7.50

Futons                              £15

Bean bags                         £5

Floor and sofa cushion       £5

Electrical recliner chairs     £35