Video: Aberdeen council dumps recycling rubbish at landfill

RUBBISH which should have been recycled after Christmas was dumped in landfill in Aberdeen, the Evening Express can reveal today.

Paper, glass and other waste was sent to a tip.

Following a tip-off, the Evening Express visited collection centres at superstore car parks in Bridge of Don and Dyce.

Glass and cardboard were crushed in the back of a lorry with general rubbish collected over Christmas.

A council insider said: “It was supposed to be recycled but was taken to the Hill of Tramaud tip.”

An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said rubbish uplifted was “contaminated” with other waste, adding that “less than a tonne” was collected.

Labour Party spokesman Willie Young said: “There is no reason why we couldn’t have put out extra bins.

“The right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”

Members of the public hit out after making the trip to recycling facilities.

Ian MacKay, 43, a storeman from Dyce, said: “It’s totally out of order. We’ve gone to the effort and so should they. It doesn’t make sense.”

The Aberdeen City Council spokesman said from one tonne of rubbish collected, a “small proportion may have been suitable for recycling”.

“This very small amount of recyclable material – which could have been re-used – should be seen in the context of the 26,000 tonnes of recyclable material which the council collects annually,” he added.

In the past Aberdeen City Council has said no material put out for recycling would end up in landfill.

dewen@ajl.co.uk