Recycling centres to extend opening hours

The region’s recycling centres will be open longer as from Monday, and the sometimes confusing registration plate restriction will no longer be in place.
The restrictions on the Borders' recycling centres will be further relaxed from Monday.The restrictions on the Borders' recycling centres will be further relaxed from Monday.
The restrictions on the Borders' recycling centres will be further relaxed from Monday.

Centres will be open from 10am-4.45pm from June 13, with a 9am opening in force at weekends, although they will be closed from 1.15-2pm daily in order that staff can grab a lunch break.

The current vehicle registration system, which allows cars to enter on certain days depending on whether the last number on their registration plate is odd or even, will no longer be in place from Monday.

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Centres will close one day a week (and two days at Eyemouth and Selkirk) as they did before the COVID-19 outbreak, and they will also accept kerbside recycling materials.

The weekday closues are as follows: Duns on Thursday, Eshiels on Wednesday, Eyemouth on Tuesday and Friday, Galashiels on Tuesday, Hawick on Wednesday, Kelso on Monday and Selkirk on Monday and Friday.

Tracey Logan, the chief executive of Scottish Borders Council, said: “Our carefully thought-out plans to reopen recycling centres has worked really well, allowing us to minimise queues and give residents the opportunity to dispose of excess waste in a safe and efficient manner.

“We are now at a stage where the majority of waste types are being accepted.

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“The next step as part of the phased recovery is to change the operating hours back to what they were before lockdown.

“This will increase the number of hours sites are open each day.

“It will also significantly reduce the number of staff that are required to support the current operating model.

“This will assist the council’s wider recovery plan, allowing support staff to return to their normal jobs.”

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Some measures will remain in place to ensure centres can continue to operate effectively.

○ A maximum of five bin bags of waste are allowed per visit, including a limit of two large general waste/wood/electrical/rubble/car battery/scrap metal items.

○ The public is reminded that one person per vehicle should travel to the site and only one should leave the vehicle to offload waste.

○ The only exception is for heavy items such as washing machines where two people can leave the vehicle.

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○ Members of the public are asked to abide by the signs in place at each site and not queue beyond signage at the entrances to avoid traffic backing up.

○ No assistance can be provided by site staff to offload materials due to social distancing guidance.

○ Only cars and small vans weighing up to two tonnes accepted, such as car-derived vans and small panel vans. No large vans, trailers or horse boxes will be accepted.

○ The limit of one visit a day also remains in place.