Trade waste charges in Aberdeenshire to rise
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An increase to trade waste charges in Aberdeenshire has been approved by councillors.
The local authority's infrastructure services committee assessed the proposed rise during its online meeting on Thursday.
It backed the plans, which will see residual waste charges increased by 2.87 per cent and mixed recycling rise by 8.16 per cent.
This equates to an annual rise of £4.06 per annum for a standard 240L waste bin collection, which is the most common collection container, and an annual increase of £13.04 per annum for a standard 240L recycling bin collection.
Head of roads, landscape and waste services at Aberdeenshire Council, Philip McKay, told the meeting: "The increase in rates has been set with a view to achieving full cost recovery, which is our standard requirement.
"We have done the assessment in a slightly different way this year. Normally we would base it on our costs from the preceding year and look to build from there, but as with everything we've had a difficult year and not a normal one in any way, shape or form.
"We've done our assessment against our cost base from the year before and looked at some changes to our income as well to arrive at what we think is a fair reflection of what full cost recovery would look like."
Mr McKay said the increase in mixed recycling was larger as the council had seen a drop-off in waste glass collections, which the local authority generates a lot of income from.
The report before the councillors on the committee recommended that the increase in trade waste charges be approved.
It also outlined that the Deposit Return Scheme was initially due to be introduced this year but has been delayed until July 2022.
It said the full details of the scheme are not yet known but it would have an affect on the waste service.
Committee chairman councillor Peter Argyle said: "We need to keep the finances of the service on track.
"The Deposit Return Scheme, which is still being developed, is clearly going to have unintended consequences.
"I don't think anyone set out to introduce a scheme that was going to impact on local government finances and budgets, but it clearly will and that is just something we are going to have to cope with.
"The other element is the impact that Covid has had on the amount of waste generated from the trade sector.
"All of that has been taken into account in setting the rates for next year."
The committee agreed with the report's recommendations and approved the increase of charges.
Related story: Increase in trade waste charges proposed for Aberdeenshire area
