‘Bottles piled up’: overflowing Highland bottle banks due to collection vehicle issues

Overflowing bottle banks in parts of the Highlands were due to “intermittent” vehicle issues with the collection fleet “over the past few weeks”, the council has admitted.

A number of prominent bottle bank sites were chock full over the weekend after the latest issues - with facilities in supermarkets in Inverness and Dingwall among those affected.

Shoppers and passers-by reported piles of glass bottles next to the full banks at the likes of the Dores Road Tesco and Telford Street Lidl supermarkets in Inverness in recent days. Dingwall's Tesco, Lidl and south car park bottle banks were also seen to be full.

Highland Council has now admitted that its glass collection contractor, Biffa, had experienced “some intermittent vehicle downtime” in recent weeks but that the “necessary level of vehicles and drivers” were operating this week and that outstanding sites “will be recovered”.

A spokesperson said: "The council’s glass contractor Biffa has experienced some intermittent vehicle downtime over the past few weeks. Over this time, there has continued to be servicing of sites across Highland each day.

“Currently Biffa has the necessary level of vehicles and drivers out servicing glass banks, and any outstanding sites will be recovered. Biffa will be taking delivery of ordered replacement vehicles by the autumn."

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