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4,000 brown bins to reach rural areas in coming weeks

27 September 2024

Householders in rural areas waiting for brown food waste bins can expect notification of the roll out of the next phase of the scheme, with 4,000 of the new bins now ready for delivery in the coming weeks.

The bins are used for the recycling of food and garden waste and will go towards filling gaps in the service which has been received positively by local households since it was first introduced by Derry City and Strabane District Council.

8,000 homes are currently waiting for a bin, and half can expect their bin to arrive over the next 8-10 weeks, while plans are being developed for the final 4,000 properties to be covered in the coming months.

Among the areas included in this phase are Plumbridge, Drumquin, Castlederg (West), Aghyaran, Cloghcor, Cranagh, Tamnaherin/Eglinton and Clady.

Members of the Environment and Regeneration Committee approved the plans at their September meeting after funding was agreed through the 2024/25 rates estimates process to address the deficit in resourcing the initiative.

Council’s Head of Environment, Conor Canning, said the scheme will have a positive impact on Council’s recycling targets and climate change mitigations.

“The brown bin scheme has been extremely successful to date in encouraging people to manage the disposal of waste more efficiently and allow us to divert the right materials into recycling and composting.  An information campaign has already begun to ensure all households are aware of the changes, and we ask people to be patient while these services are introduced. Our team will be working to deliver the bins to all areas as quickly as we can while managing regular collection services.

“A full kit will be issued to all the homes about to be added to the service, with a letter detailing when to leave the brown bin out for collection as well as an information leaflet with advice and tips on how to use the service. Council officers have made every effort to match the brown bin collection day with the household’s existing black or blue collection day, however there may be some instances where this is not logistically possible. Details for collection will be clearly outlined within the letter forming part of the delivery set.”

Collection schedules have also been updated on Council’s Recycling App to reflect this rollout and users can also access extensive information on recycling. For any queries, teams can be contacted by telephone on 028 71 374 107 or via email at refuse&[email protected]

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