Booking system considered to tackle 'user tourism' at Mid and East Antrim recycling centres

Operations director Philip Thompson told councillors a booking system is being considered in a bid to tackle “user tourism”. He indicated this arrangement has been introduced by Ards and North Down Borough Council which operates an online and telephone booking system with visitors to recycling centres asked to produce proof of residence in the borough on arrival.

Mr Thompson said: “This is an issue in our borough. Our waste team is looking at that to tackle that in our borough as well.”

The Council has been urged to consider all recycling options in a bid to improve waste management. It has applied for funding from DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) in a bid to switch to a uniform waste disposal system in Larne, Carrickfergus and Ballymena.

If successful, a trolley-based, three-tier wheelie box system and smaller black bins will be delivered to approximately 58,200 households. Existing black bins with a 240 litre capacity will be replaced with those of 180 litres. These and brown bins will continue to be lifted every two weeks. The triple stack boxes which hold 165 litres will be emptied weekly. The blue bins will be removed.

Larne Lough DUP Councillor Gregg McKeen stated there are other councils besides the local authority that use a “co-mingled” waste management system and are “achieving better results”.

He said: “There are other options to the triple stack bin. The triple stack is not the only type of recycling out there on the market. Rather than just going along the path one way, we need to explore all the options.”

Responding to a query by Cllr McKeen over potential methods of achieving higher recycling levels and from committee chair, Knockagh Ulster Unionist Alderman Andrew Wilson, over the role of triple stack bins, the director said these would “give an enhanced system” as well as “slimming” to a 180 litre bin or extending to three-weekly collection.

Larne Lough Alliance Ald Robert Logan commented: “In Larne, there is a lot of angst about going from from a blue bin to a triple stacker but people do not realise three stack bins would be picked up weekly.”

The triple stack bin proposal has caused controversy among residents in Larne, in particular, who have expressed opposition to the refuse system. Almost 1,500 people have signed an online petition urging a rethink by council on the facility.

Householders said online that many people find that they fill a black bin fortnightly despite recycling as much as possible. They have also commented on the “waste of money from dumping existing bins to replace every household’s bin with a smaller one and adding to plastic waste”.

No decision has been given yet on funding for the provision of triple stack bins in Mid and East Antrim, although it is understood these could be rolled out to households in Antrim, next autumn, along with a 180 litre black bin for non-recyclables.

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter