New green skip added to the recycling family at Cursiter

The Council's Cursiter recycling centre has reopened today with a new, additional garden waste skip, after an unplanned closure last week to clear up illegal dumping.

Hayley Green is Corporate Director of Neighbourhood Services and Infrastructure said the added capacity was the result of feedback from the local community council:

“Added garden waste capacity is something the Firth and Stenness Community Council had reported back to us as an improvement the local community would really like to have and would benefit from, so we’re pleased to have it in place now for people.

“Green waste deposited in our garden waste skips is processed at Bossack and then provided free of charge for anyone to pick up, from Bossack and Hatston, to use as soil improver in their own gardens.

Speaking about the ongoing problems of dumping of waste at the facility, Ms Green said: “Misuse of the facility has inconvenienced many in the community, and adds to the cost of providing the service when budgets and resources are already under strain.

“Last week’s contamination of the site meant there wasn’t enough space for us to safely remain open or even service the skips.

“It also resulted in closure until we had lorry and staff availability, over and above all the other skips and kerbside collections we have responsibility for, to deal with sorting out the illegal dumping.

“However the site staff put the closure time at Cursiter to good use and have shifted things about inside the site to enable the additional green waste skip to be added.

“We would remind folk that there are strict rules the Council must abide by in order to operate waste and recycling sites for the community, and we’d urge folk to use Cursiter appropriately, to prevent a repeat of last week's closure.”

The Cursiter facility had been closed for almost six days due to waste including bulky items such as tyres and furniture being left in or beside the recycling skips on or around Tuesday 2 March.

The new skip effectively doubles the green waste capacity at Cursiter and should mean there’s always one garden waste skip still on site while the other one’s being emptied.

Cursiter accepts the following recyclables from householders:

• Scrap Metals
• Garden Waste
• Cardboard
• Electrical and electronic equipment
• Textiles (clothes and shoes)”.
• Fluorescent tubes and energy saving bulbs
• Paper and thin card
• Food and Drinks cans, foil and aerosols
• Glass bottles and jars
• Plastic bottles
• Household batteries

Furniture items in reuseable condition can be offered to Restart run by local charity Employability Orkney. Restart offers a collection service.

Black bag waste can be dropped off at Stromness, Hatston or Bossack.

If householders have the odd worn tyre at home these can go to the Council's Household Waste and Recycling facilities at Hatston or Garson. Your garage will usually dispose of any tyres they change for you through their business waste arrangements. Businesses should take tyres to either Orkney Recycling Services or Orkney Aggregates.