Mavis Valley recycling

Booking system deemed successful in helping manage demand at facility v.1
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Measures to reduce demand on East Dunbartonshire Council’s recycling centres have been deemed a success/

A report detailing the impact of these measures, and the scale of the problem before they were introduced, were welcomed by councillors during a recent meeting.

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Councillors also praised the work done by staff in combating the problems, as well as the considerations shown for visitors in need of additional support.

Feedback has been very positive with users of the siteFeedback has been very positive with users of the site
Feedback has been very positive with users of the site

Before the implementation of the present booking system, visitors to the two facilities in Mavis Valley, Bishopbriggs were confronted by long waits and high levels of traffic, which peaked when the site reopened after closure due to pandemic restrictions.

Attempts to control this using conventional traffic management, initially with a private contractor and then with the council’s roads department, were too expensive to be maintained long-term so instead a booking system was introduced which requires visitors to request an appointment before visiting the recycling facilities.

Introduced in August 2021, the booking system allows appointments to be requested up to two weeks in advance and normally there are 12 slots per 15 minutes during opening hours.

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In the first year, more than 300 visits were scheduled each day, a total of over 100,000.

Feedback has been very positive with users of the site welcoming the reductions in traffic and queuing compared to previously when upwards of 900 cars would visit each day.

Last year the range of acceptable plastics which could be deposited at kerbside recycling bins was expanded from just bottles to include items such as tinfoil and plastic carrier bags, trays, tubs and pots.

The council is also working with Zero Waste Scotland to analyse what is still going into general waste bins and will use this information to shape a public education campaign to help improve residents’ recycling habits.

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Councillors agreed that the booking system had resolved a number of pressures at Mavis Valley, noted the impact of the expanded range of permitted recyclables in improving sustainability, and confirmed the need for a publicity campaign which will be delivered by the council’s corporate communications team.

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