Waste Education in Schools and Communities
We aim to increase the awareness and understanding of good Waste Management practices in the broadest sense and it promotes many messages including:
- Waste minimisation
- Waste disposal
- Recycling
- Anti-litter
- Anti-fly tipping
- Eco Schools programme
We can provide information on any of the above practices and also on a wider range of topics that may be of interest such as:
- Kerbside recycling scheme/Recycling in Moray
- Where does your waste go?
- Ways to reduce and reuse your waste
Schools and Teachers
The Recycling Team is available to support schools and nurseries as part of the Eco Schools program. We are also available to come and speak to schools and classes independently of the eco schools program to cover subjects such as recycling, waste, litter and dog fouling.
This is a programme that the Scottish Government Education Department has adopted as a performance measure for one of their National Priorities in Education (Priority 4 - "Values and Citizenship").
The Eco Schools programme is an international project designed to encourage whole school action for the environment. It is a recognised award scheme, rewarding and accrediting schools that have made a commitment to continuously improving their environmental performance.
The programme operates an award system which consists of Bronze status, Silver status and Green Flag status. In April 2011 changes were made on how Green Flag status was awarded and retained. Green Flag status is now re-assessed annually; therefore if a renewal application is not submitted then you may loose your Green Flag.
Congratulations to all schools who are participating in the Eco Schools programme and in particular to the following schools who have achieved or retained their Green Flag status:
Primary Schools
- Aberlour House Junior School, Gordonstoun
- Alves Primary School, Alves
- Ark Childcare, Forres
- Logie Primary School, Logie
- Millbank Primary School, Buckie
- Mortlach Primary School, Dufftown
- Rothes Primary School, Rothes
- Seafield Primary School, Elgin
- St Gerardine School, Lossiemouth
- St Thomas RC Primary School, Keith
- Tomintoul Primary School, Tomintoul
- VIP Childcare, Moray
For more information about the Eco Schools programme you can visit their website
Recycling saves scarce natural resources, energy, and money and also decreases the level of harmful emissions produced. Find out what happens to YOUR waste and recyclates.
Your Green Residual Waste Bin: Refuse Collection Vehicles (RCVs) collect your waste from your green bin on a 3 weekly basis. They take waste to the closest Transfer Station – Waterford in Forres or Moycroft in Elgin. From there the waste is bulk loaded into articulated trailers and transferred to our Energy from Waste facility located in East Tullos Aberdeen which produces electricity for the national grid, and will provide heat for a local district heating network.
Your Brown Garden and Food Waste Bin: RCVs collect the contents of your brown bins on a fortnightly basis. The RCVs then take the green/food waste to their closest Transfer Station - Moycroft in Elgin or Gollachy in Buckie. Waste from all the Transfer Stations is taken to Moycroft Baling Plant. The garden and food waste mix is then transported to Keenan Recycling in Aberdeenshire to be turned into compost. The compost generated is used on agricultural land.
Your Blue Bin and Paper Banks: The contents of your blue bin and paper banks at Recycling Points is collected by a kerbside collection vehicle and taken to Moycroft Baling Plant in Elgin. The larger pieces of cardboard are separated from the paper and compacted into bales to ease transportation. The paper and cardboard is then collected by Smurfit Kappa UK Ltd who send it to Nechells Paper Mill in Birmingham for recycling. The separated cardboard gets made into new paper based products, while the paper is made into newsprint.
Your Orange Box and Glass Banks: The glass from your orange box and glass banks at Recycling Points is collected by a kerbside collection vehicle and taken to Moycroft Baling Plant in Elgin. The mixed glass is collected by Sibelco Glass Recycling and taken to Motherwell where it is made into new glass products.
Your Purple Bin and Can/Plastic Banks: The contents of your purple bins and the mixed cans/plastic banks at recycling centres are taken to the Waste Transfer Station at Moycroft, Elgin. It is sorted on site by Waste Watchers where the mix is separated into the different streams of plastic, steel and aluminium. The materials are then compacted into bales before being transported for reprocessing.
The bales are transported to Wyllies Recycling Ltd in Perth. The aluminium is made into new cans and for auto industry. The steel is made into new food and drink cans, bikes, cars and paper clips, The plastic is made into new plastic bottles, fleeces, toys, insulation and benches.