A wheeled bin recycling pilot project, that will mean brown bin collections will cease from 1 November 2008 until 31 March 2009, will take place in Troon, Barassie and Loans over the coming months.
The purpose of the pilot project is to increase the recycling of paper, card, cans and plastic bottles, by providing a fortnightly blue bin collection during the winter months. Collection rate records have shown that very little garden waste is collected from brown bins.
As the brown bins will not be collected a fortnightly blue bin collection will be introduced. Householders are being asked to only place out blue bins for collection, containing paper, cardboard, cans and plastic bottles on what would have been their brown bin collection day, during this trial period. Any brown bins placed out for collection during this winter period will not be emptied.
Councillor Peter Convery, South Ayrshire Council's Portfolio Carrier for Sustainability and the Environment said: "The Scottish Government has set the Council some very challenging recycling targets for future years and we are keen to do everything we can to meet these.
"During the winter months, when we have less garden waste, it makes sense to see if emptying blue bins more often can assist us to increase our recycling rate. This pilot project will enable us to examine the collection rates using a different collection during the winter months.
"Every householder in the Troon, Barassie and Loans area has been sent a letter by the Council to inform them of the pilot project that will start in their area from 1 November 2008. In addition each householder has been sent a revised recycling collection calendar.
"I would like to thank those taking part in the pilot project for their co-operation and remind you that your brown bin collection for garden waste will be reintroduced with effect from 1 April 2009."
Anyone taking part in the pilot project who has garden waste for disposal during the winter months can take it to the Troon Recycling Centre in Port Ranald Drive, where the waste will be passed on for composting.
Any householder in South Ayrshire who has a question about how to dispose of household waste should refer to their 'Let's Get it Sorted' handbook. The handbook contains lots of information about how to dispose of waste correctly and details of how to arrange a special uplift of household waste.