Orkney Islands Council is practising what it preaches when it comes to recycling. The runways on both Sanday and Westray are being repaired using recycled material.

The runways will be resurfaced with material collected by the Council from road repairs and renewals across Orkney. This material is processed and graded at Cursiter Quarry, before being transported to the airfields to be placed in a series of thin layers to build up the new surface on the runway.

Peter Bevan, the Council’s Engineering Services Manager said:

“Aside from the environmental and cost benefits, as the recycled road material contains bitumen, it packs down well to provide a long wearing surface – and as there is no curing time, we can carry out the work between flights.”

Last year, similar work was carried out on the runways in Papa Westray and Stronsay with  Eday and North Ronaldsay to be done in the future.

OIC has also extended what householders are able to recycle adding aerosols, kitchen foil and foil tray products as part of the fortnightly green bin collections.

It is thought that Orkney households use over 12 million cans, foil trays and aerosols per year. Used metal packaging can be recycled into new products at a far lower cost to the environment than making them from raw materials. Making drinks cans from recycled metal saves up to 95% of the energy, and greenhouse gas emissions, needed to make both aluminium and steel from raw materials.

More Information And Downloads

What to Recycle

Where Can I Donate Good Items That Can Be Re-Used ?

• CLAN, 30 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN.
• The Orkney Food Bank, 18 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AB.
• British Red Cross, 68 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DN.
• Restart Orkney, 62 Junction Road, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1AR.
• Orkney Zerowaste Yard, Garson Place, Stromness, Orkney, KW16 3EE
(just along from the recycling centre).
• Homestart Orkney, Main Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1BU.
• The Blue Door, 63 Victoria Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, KW15 1DQ.
• Cats Protection Orkney, 85-87 Victoria Street, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BS.
• Salvation Army Shop, Unit 4, Anchor Buildings, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1HR.
• British Red Cross Shop, 2 Graham Place, Stromness, Orkney KW16 3BY

Garbology Newsletter June 2017