We will now have a poorer, more expensive, fortnightly service
Sir – I am writing in response to your headline article in the NT 20th January.
I was very sorry to read that The Highland Council have agreed to end the GREAN kerbside recycling service.
I stepped down from management of GREAN in March 2010, and remained in a part time advisory capacity until eventually retiring at the end of September 2011.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the householders in east and central Sutherland, and loyal and hard working staff, who over the years supported the development of a recycling service that was second to none in Scotland. It was regarded as a pioneering and innovative project, provided by the community, for the community, in the absence of any alternative provided by The Highland Council.
The idea was to use waste as a resource from which local jobs could be created with associated local economic and environmental benefit. This worked fine until the "ring fenced" funding provided by the Scottish Executive at the time was handed over to The Highland Council by the new government to use as they wish.
Since then, a quiet campaign to whittle away at this funding by council officials has eventually paid off, and the required savings in the Waste Management budget have been achieved.
In previous years, the only way this erosion of support was slowed down was by vigorous campaigning, and lobbying of elected representatives. It seems that despite the complete support and understanding of local councillors, MPs and MSPs, the final cut has been approved.
As a "GREAN outsider", I am inclined to agree with the views of the "GREAN insider" – I would have thought the opinions of the householders in the area would have been relevant to the discussion at least.
The result of this is that we are to be taken over by a tide of blue wheelie-bins, and to receive a poorer, more expensive, fortnightly service, collecting a narrower range of co-mingled materials (no glass for example) a significant proportion of which will end up being incinerated as a result of the (well known) higher contamination levels, being paid for by funding that was intended for community use.
Any employment resulting from the sorting and processing will not happen in Highland.
I hope that the assurances given to staff of continued employment by GREAN can be fulfilled, and I wish GREAN every success in their new ventures.
Fergus Morrison, Mill Cottage, Dunrobin, Golspie.
