Orkney Recyclers

We are currently working on an updated and new version of this list, which we hope to launch soon! In the mean time here's some of these handy organisations and/or businesses are currently involved in recycling activities in Orkney. Please support them and use these services wherever possible.

Commercial hospitality collection (OIC - Maria Cuthbertson)

• Collect and recycle  bottles from pubs, clubs, hotels, and restaurants around Orkney.
• Collected bottles are crushed and used in concrete for the construction of the barrier blocks.

Westray Development Trust - used cooking oil

• Westray take all of the collected used cooking oil from OIC for use to run their Community vehicle.
• Please contact Sam Harcus for details: 01857 677790

Rotary Club - (Keith Foubister)

• Collect used printer cartridges for recycling south
• Collection point at Orkney Office Supplies
• Also collects from the Council, Orkney Health Board (NHS), and through Rotary club members? homes and businesses
• They have to shop around the recyclers south, as the price varies hugely between recyclers, and over time!
• Send approximately 3-4 deliveries a year.

Clark Optometrists - recycling spectacles

• Mr Clark has a collection box at the shop for taking old pairs of glasses.
• This is through 'Vision Aid Overseas', a registered charity in Crawley.
• They distribute spectacles to the third world
• 'Recycle your unwanted spectacles and help less fortunate people to see'

Glen Miller - recycling used car tyres

Glen Miller is taking used car tyres and baling them in his new compression baler. These tyre bales are then available to buy for whatever application you may have. Possible uses include coast defences, ground stabilisation, silage building etc. Contact Glen on 01856 861392

There are several other recycling enterprises going on in Orkney, some charitable and voluntary, and others as commercial businesses. There are at least 2 independent folk taking old furniture for refurbishing and sale, and there are (or have been) others restoring electrical/white goods for re-use. There was also interest in refurbishing computers, printers and other office equipment, and some of the PC / electrical shops do take old machines. There is also a huge amount of 'natural' recycling going on behind the scenes. What is one man's waste is another man's resource! Cardboard boxes and sheets of card put out for disposal are often miraculously taken away. One assumes, by someone who has need of it! And there are many informal commercial agreements where used packaging is passed on to small manufacturers for packing up their products. Farmers get the benefit of discarded organic scraps from a variety of food and drink manufacturers in Orkney, from broken biscuits to waste from beer and spirit production.

BUYING RECYCLED

You can also help the overall recycling efforts by BUYING recycled goods. The more that we buy recycled products, the cheaper they become, and the more worthwhile it is to make them. This closes the loop, where you buy recycled goods that are made from 'waste' that you have taken to the recycling facilities!

So when you need more materials in the office, buy recycled paper and ink cartidges, and when you next go to the supermarket, get the recycled kitchen roll and aluminium foil! Browse the second-hand shops for clothes and nick-nacks.

There are all sorts of recycled goods that are made from recycled tyres, car-parts and waste plastic. A good place to get these is through 'Earth Huggers' - just Google it to get to their website!

 ORKNEY RECYCLING DIRECTORY

There is soon to be an Orkney Recycling Directory.

Work is on-going to develop and publish a recycling guide for Orkney. Details will be up-dated as the project progresses.