Lessons on waste management at council workshop

The local government authority is seeking to harmonise waste services across the Carrickfergus, Larne and Ballymena areas following the council merger earlier this year.

Of particular focus will be the best method of recycling following a presentation from WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) to the council earlier this year.

The report looked at different ways of handling waste in the borough, including changing the frequency of collection, bringing in a stackable ‘wheelie box’ system for recycling and reducing the size of the black bin from 240L to 180L.

Philip Thompson, director of Operations, said: “We will have a workshop for councillors in early October and we will be asking organisation like Bryson (Recycling), and Newtownabbey and Banbridge Councils to come and feed into that. Newtownabbey for example have went down the triple stack route and have reduced their bin to 180 litres.”

The triple stack system is currently available for councillors in Carrick and Ballymena to trial, Mr Thompson added.

Mid and East Antrim will also examine how best to utilise exiting stock in order to provide recycling services. “Sullatober in Carrickfergus is the main depot for parks refuse, street cleansing and so on. Behind it is a council-owned facility that was the former dog pound; we could perhaps look at taking some of that space,” Mr Thompson said.

With some aspects of fleet maintenance currently carried out by outside contractors, the possibility of providing maintenance at a single point will also be examined.