Fife Council apologises after calendar error leaves hundreds with full bins

An error in Fife Council’s online bin collection calendar has affected hundreds of residents in west Fife.

Households in Culross, High Valleyfield, Low Valleyfield, Newmills, and Torryburn thought that their brown food/garden waste bin were to be collected on Monday, February 21, however, the council has admitted that was not the case.

The mistake came as the local authority continues its policy to collect brown compost/food waste bins every four weeks during the winter months to save cash and resources, with two-weekly collections due to resume the week beginning March 7.

Fife Council has apologised to those people who may now be left with a full brown bin for another fortnight, but has asked residents to take any brown bins left kerbside back in until March 7 when they will be picked up as planned.

“We’ve noticed that there’s been an error in our online brown bin collection calendar affecting Culross, High Valleyfield, Low Valleyfield, Newmills and Torryburn,” the council confirmed.

“The calendar said brown bins in these areas were going to be collected on Monday, February 21, but this was incorrect.

“Brown bins collections are still being collected four-weekly until the next scheduled collection date, March 7, where they will revert to a fortnightly collection.

“We’re sorry for this mistake and understand that it will have caused some inconvenience.

“If your bin is out for collection, please bring it back in again until March 7.”

The council moved to seasonal four-weekly brow bin collections for a number reasons.

Having less garden waste in brown bins over the winter means bin collection lorries are not full, and the council took the opportunity to reduce operating costs and maximise the use of resources while reducing its environmental impact.

Surveys also show that there is less demand for this service from Fifers over the winter months, with fewer than 7% of Fife residents placing their brown bin out every two weeks during the winter prior to the changes.