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NEW RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES IN CAITHNESS
For the first time people living in Caithness will have a real opportunity to benefit the environment by recycling significant amounts of waste with the opening of two new recycling centres in Wick and Thurso which will create 6 new jobs.

Work has already begun on the Wick site which is situated next to the existing refuse depot on the Airport Industrial Estate.  J Gunn and Sons from Lybster are the contractors for the work which should be completed by the beginning of April. The Thurso site, for which planning permission is currently being sought, is scheduled to open in the summer.

The Highland Council's Depute Chairman of TEC Services and spokesman for Waste Management, Councillor Bill Fulton said: "This is the biggest step forward in waste management in Caithness since the opening of the Seater Landfill Site and is part of The Highland Council's overall waste strategy implementation plan which is funded by the Scottish Executive.

"Both the new recycling centres will allow people to be more diligent about how they dispose of their waste to cut down on the amount going to landfill sites. There will be facilities to recycle a wide range of items including cans, textiles, scrap metal, garden waste, glass, cardboard and paper."

The recycling centres will be open 7 days a week and 5 new jobs will be created to man the sites with an additional skip lorry driver employed to service them.

Area Chairman of TEC Services, Councillor John Green, who went along to see work beginning at the Wick site said: "This is a major boost to the County and I'm sure both sites will be well used. Throughout the year we also are aiming to introduce smaller scale unmanned collection points for glass, paper, cans and textiles and are discussing locations of these with eight local communities. These will complement the recycling facilities already available at the Co-op and Somerfield Stores in both Wick and Thurso, Fraser Store, Thurso and also at Halkirk, Castletown and Lybster."