Free bulky waste removal to end

Highland Council is taxed for putting waste in landfill sites

The expense of disposing rubbish in landfill sites has led Highland Council to bring an end to uplifting bulky items free of charge.

From 1 April, fees will apply for the removal of large items like furniture.

There will be a flat charge of �15 for the collection of up to three items, such as a sofa and two chairs.

Brian Murphy, vice chairman of the council's technical services committee, said the local authority could no longer afford to offer it for free.

He said: "At present it costs the council �32 per tonne to dispose of these items to a landfill site.

"We simply cannot afford to keep offering a free service when the council is facing these landfill tax charges which are going up by �8 per tonne every year."

Mr Murphy added: "Many of the requests for bulky uplifts involve furniture and other household items.

"I would encourage people to ensure that as much as possible is either re-used or re-cycled.

"There are a number of local community sector groups that offer a free collection service for these items."

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