Packaging producer Smurfit Westrock has landed a deal to take more than 11,000 tonnes of mixed paper and card annually from Highland Council.
The agreement, which could last for up to six years, will see the Dublin-headquartered global company collect waste material from the Scottish local authority’s waste transfer stations.
This will then be graded and baled at the firm’s Glasgow recycling facility before being sent to its UK paper mills for processing.
Brown paper reels will be distributed to 32 Smurfit Westrock packaging plants and turned into high quality products for consumer goods.
Highland Council communities and place committee chair Graham MacKenzie said he was “delighted” with the deal.
“Securing this contract is another important milestone for Highland Council, helping to ensure we have long-term and robust end markets for the material the public separates for recycling,” he added.
Lucy Russell, managing director of Smurfit Westrock Recycling UK, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Highland Council collecting paper and card that can be used as quality feedstock for our UK-based paper mills.”
Distribution of the new non-recyclable waste bins to households in Sutherland is complete. Deliveries in Caithness have now commenced and are expected to be complete at the beginning of December. Skye and Lochalsh deliveries are scheduled to start in February 2025, while Lochaber rollout will start next summer.
