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Council moves up the rankings for household recycling
North Ayrshire Council has been ranked the sixth-highest recycling local authority in the country.
The Council has been listed in sixth place on a table of Scotland’s local authorities for household recycling in 2025, and Council staff and residents have been praised for their efforts in ensuring the right waste goes into the right bin.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) recently released its annual report on household waste, and the data shows the Council area recycled 52.9 per cent of household waste during the calendar year for 2025.
The Council's rate sits well above the national average of 42.8 per cent and Councillor Eleanor Collier, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy has thanked everyone for their efforts.
Quote: I would like to acknowledge the part that residents and Council staff have played in our recycling rate being in the top six. Small changes can make a big difference when it comes to the environment, so everyone who separates their dry recyclable items - glass cans, plastics, paper, card and cardboard - as well as food and garden waste and general waste at home is contributing. Rinsing out food containers, flattening aluminium drink cans, squashing plastic bottles to maximise space in your bins and taking large items to our Household Waste Recycling Centres may not seem like you are doing something important – but it all adds up. If everyone makes an effort – where possible – to stick to the ‘reduce, reuse recycle’ system this will help us to cut down on the amount of waste we generate.
Quote from: Councillor Eleanor Collier, Cabinet Member for Green Environment and Economy
It costs the Council £3.7 million annually to send waste for final disposal, and this impacts the environment as well as the delivery of services for residents.
The Council’s ‘Right Stuff, Right Bin’ campaign encourages residents to help reduce recycling contamination and cut waste disposal costs by ensuring wheelie bins contain the correct items.
On the mainland and Cumbrae these are:
· Blue bin – paper, card and cardboard (loose, clean and dry)
· Purple bin – glass jars and bottles, cans, plastics and cartons (loose, clean and dry)
· Brown bin – food and garden waste (either loose or in compostable food waste liners)
On Arran these are:
· Blue bin – paper, card and cardboard, glass jars and bottles, cans, plastics and cartons (loose, clean and dry)
On the mainland, Arran and Cumbrae please remember to use your grey bin for non-recyclable material:
· Grey bin – items that cannot be recycled, including nappies, polystyrene, used tissues, plastic wrap, padded envelopes, and bags and cling film
Councillor Collier added: “We have moved up from ninth place in the SEPA household waste recycling performance figures in 2024 to sixth this time round.
“This is thanks to residents thinking about which waste they place into which wheelie bin, and also because our Neighbourhood Services staff are actively promoting the benefits of recycling for the environment – and the Council budget.
“Remember, if your bin contains the wrong stuff, it won’t be collected. Taking a few minutes to think about the ‘Right Stuff, Right Bin’ guidance will help ensure that your waste is going in the correct bin.”
The Council also works in partnership with Irvine-based charity Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company (CFRC).T his sees people donating unwanted furniture and mattresses that can be reused by others, cutting back on the number of items which are disposed of. You can find out more online at the charity's web page.
Published: 06 November 2026