Queenspark residents group are hoping to organise a meeting with Highland Council's waste management staff

QUEENSPARK Residents Group are hoping to organise a meeting with Highland Council's waste management staff to hear a talk on the council's waste management strategy in the Highlands.

Since it's launch this year the group has done a lot to enhance the appearance of the estate and communication with the council on a range of issues.

Major clean-ups of overgrown path networks and parking areas combined with planting programmes of flowers in open spaces and the clearance of an access path to the riverside football pitch and completion of replacement play equipment at the riverside by the charity Nairn Play have already provided many positive outcomes in a short timescale.

Chairman Morag Anderson contacted Highland Council in response to residents questions about recycling in Queenspark and she is inviting people to respond to see if they would be interested in hearing from waste management officials at one of their future meetings in the Army Cadet Hut in John Street.

Imogen Percy-Bell, Principal Waste Management Office for the Council has promised a team is willing to come and speak to residents on the issue.

"All Local Authorities are different and therefore provide different services depending the budget and priorities agreed by the elected members. The Highland Council operates in one of the largest geographical areas and therefore the cost of managing the waste is significantly higher (due to the haulage costs of transporting the waste and recycling) than a smaller Local Authority."

Food waste collections are provided in Inverness city area where the Council has a statutory duty to collect this material. We are currently working on plans to expand this service to other areas within Highland that would include Nairn.

Glass bottles can be recycled at one of the 200 Recycling Points located across the region. Next summer a Deposit Return Scheme will be introduced across Scotland which will include glass bottles, plastic bottles and drinks cans. Please see the link: (zerowastescotland.org.uk)

Electrical items are accepted at the council's Household Waste Recycling Centres (including the Nairn centre on Grantown Road) where we achieve high capture rates of this material.

"There are no plans to start collecting this type of material due to the additional costs," she adds.

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