Highland Council plan for 'enhancement' of Seater landfill site in Caithness
At a meeting on Wednesday, Highland Council talked about investments in its waste and recycling facilities including enhancements to its Caithness site.
The council talked about the use of mobile shredders to treat bulky waste and a variety of other waste management projects that are planned. It agreed to invest in three mobile shredders to treat larger domestic items or ‘bulky waste’ that are too large to fit into a kerbside bin. This will enable the council to reduce bulky waste items to a smaller size as accepted by its energy-from-waste service provider.
Members welcomed a successful application to Zero Waste Scotland's Recycling Improvement Fund which will enable investment in collection services to improve recycling within Highland.
The project will enable changes to waste services that will provide wide-reaching benefits to Highland recycling. These include enhancement to the Seater Waste Transfer Station and an extension to the Skye Waste Transfer Station as well as numerous other practical changes to recycling processes over the coming year.
Since coming into operation in early April, a second visit to the new Inverness Waste Transfer Station is being arranged for councillors to see the transfer station now in full operational mode.
Members were also updated on the council’s working plans towards the waste transfer station in Fort William being operational in late 2024 / early 2025. A planning application is being prepared for submission at the end of May; discussions are ongoing with the site owner regarding the ground lease; and an application to SEPA will be made for a site waste management licence.
Councillor Graham MacKenzie, chair of Communities and Place at Highland Council said: “We are working hard towards sustainable long-term waste management solutions for Highland.
“Progress is being made as we continue to work closely with the Scottish Government.”