Council recycling centres will no longer accept tyres

TYRES will no longer be accepted at Highland Council Household Waste Recycling Centres it has been announced.

The new policy takes effect from April 1 with the council claiming it will save it around £70,000 a year.

Vehicle tyres are not classified as household waste, the council says, so it is not statutorily obliged to accept them.

Tyres will be collected by the council’s bulky uplift service, for a fee.

Garages and tyre dealers also often accept old tyres and recycle them in exchange for a fee.

Tyres cannot be landfilled so cannot be disposed of in refuse bins.

Councillor Allan Henderson, chairman of the environment, development and infrastructure committee, said: “The restriction on disposing of tyres at Highland Council Household Waste Recycling Centres is aimed at encouraging householders to take more responsibility for their waste and is anticipated to deliver a saving of approximately £70,000 a year, which is the current annual cost of disposing of tyres from Highland Recycling Centres.”

“From April 1 Highland Council’s bulky uplift service will also be expanded to include collection of car-sized tyres and wheels. This is intended to provide householders with another means of getting rid of unwanted tyres, whilst allowing the council to recover the cost of collection and disposal.

“By considering the durability of the items we buy and how easily they can be maintained, reused or recycled at the end of their useful life we can all make a significant contribution to reducing waste and moving towards a more circular economy in Highland.”

For more information e-mail recycle@highland.gov.uk or call 01349 886603.

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