Recycling
The council is responsible for providing a number of recycling facilities in Shetland, These are Gremista Waste Management Facility and Recycling Centre, various bring points throughout the isle, a kerbside recycling collection in Lerwick and Scalloway, battery collection points at many local shops and supermarkets, various textile recycling banks throughout the isles and waste oil banks at Gremista Waste Management Facility and Recycling Centre, Colvister Quarry in Yell and Central Garage Brae. To view a detailed map showing the location of these recycling banks please click here.
There are several other recycling points available in Shetland through organisations like Shetland Amenity Trust, COPE Scrap Store and local charity shops, details of which can be found at Sort It.
Why Recycle?
Recycled materials can replace the use of virgin materials and provide environmental benefits including less air pollution, energy use, reduced land filling, reduced impacts of extracting materials and more efficient use of finite resources.
Recycling also provides employment opportunities, encourages producers to take more responsibility for their wastes and improves economic competitiveness.
Benefits of recycling include:
- Cutting down the amount of material we use
- Reducing transport movements and air pollution
- Land filling less of our waste
- Reducing energy consumption from making new materials
- Creating new jobs from recycling initiatives
- Encouraging people and businesses to take more responsibility for the waste they produce
- Improving competitiveness as businesses use their materials more efficiently
Buy Recycled- Close the Loop
Recycling goods is only part of the process, we must make an effort to buy recycled products as well. By supporting the market for recycled content goods we ensure that those businesses continue to expand and virgin materials are not used to such extent, this also saves materials and energy involved in preparing raw materials.
