‘Hope recycling centre to open again

The recycling centre at St Margaret’s Hope will re-open on Tuesday 24 November.

The site will be open from Tuesday to Saturday each week, from 08:00 to 16:00, with last entry at 15:45.

There will be clearly marked skips for the following materials:

• Food and beverage cans, foils and aerosols.
• Scrap metal.
• Paper/thin card.
• Glass bottles and jars.
• Plastic bottles.
• Cardboard.
• Garden waste.
• Waste electrical equipment.

Other types of waste cannot be accepted at this time and the centre will need to close once or twice a day – for up to 30 minutes at a time – for skips to be changed over when full.

Residents using the centre are advised:

• Only three cars can be on site at any one time to allow two-metre social distancing.
• Signs will remind visitors of the need to remain two metres apart from anyone from another household.

Local Councillor Steve Sankey said: “This has been a real team effort getting this facility back open, from Council staff to the Community Council.

“I’d especially like to thank the community for their patience as there have been some unique resource issues to resolve in a most difficult time for us all as a community.

“The petition organised by the Community Council helped to emphasise that this is an important facility in our community, and we need to use it wisely moving forward.”

Dave Woodcock, from South Ronaldsay and Burray Community Council, said: "I would like to thank Steve Sankey and those from OIC who have put a great deal of effort into enabling the St Margaret's Hope centre to re-open for the specified types of waste.

“I hope that everyone will co-operate with the new restrictions and rules so that the centre can remain open. We would have liked more types of waste to be accepted, but the re-opening will be a great benefit to many in the community.”

Graham Sinclair, the Council’s Chair of Development and Infrastructure, said: “I am very pleased that we’re now in a position to re-open the centre.

“We were keen to do this once more resources were available to us – and the recent changes to our kerbside recycling collections have made this possible. With recycling now being collected every fortnight – rather than weekly – more drivers are available to remove and replace skips at the site when full.

“I’d like to thank folk in the area for your patience and co-operation over recent months - and the community council for their involvement and advice. I hope this announcement will be well received.”

Lorna Richardson, policy manager with the Council’s waste team, added: “Help and support from the local community will be important in the running of the site – and in keeping everyone safe by staying two metres apart.

“When using the site, please don’t dispose of anything other than the materials we’re providing skips for – and please be patient if skips fill up faster than anticipated and so take longer to be emptied.

“It’s really important that there is no fly tipping next to skips or at the entrance to the site, as we’d have to immediately close the centre and it could take several days before it could re-open, if at all.”

Provided the new arrangements work well, the Council will seek to re-open the Cursiter recycling centre in a similar way in a few weeks’ time. Difficulties in ensuring two-metre social distancing mean that the Bossack recycling centre remains closed for the time being.

Although black bag waste cannot be accepted at the ‘Hope recycling centre, the Council is reminding residents that they may qualify for an additional grey bin for the fortnightly kerbside waste collection. This would be in addition to the standard 240 litre grey bin issued to most households and usually sufficient for their needs.

You can request an application form for an extra grey waste bin or red bags (if you already receive these) by contacting OIC customer services on 01856873535 or by email to customerservice@orkney.gov.uk