The Recycling initiative started with the creation of a Community Recycling Centre at Urgha on the road out towards Scalpay. 

 The centre has been developed in partnership with Comhairle nan Eilean and perhaps can best be described as a satellite of the main Creed recycling facility just outside Stornoway. 

Waste is gathered and segregated on site to reduce the volume of waste going to land-fill. This development provides: 

• full-time employment for one operative  

• a reliable location with empty skip capacity  

• regular opening hours  

• assistance and advice  

• a base from which to expand into further recycling activities   

The centre opened for business on Monday 8th June 2009 and has seen the number of visits gradually pick up . We finally bit the bullet and had mains electricity connected, just before the clocks changed in October 2009. This gave us light to maintain our opening hours during the short winter days.  In Autumn 2011, we invested in a portacabin for the site.   We now have somewhere warm and light for the short winter days. We hope to connect it up to water and sewerage in 2012 – however this is a major expense, so needs some serious planning.  

The shed doors have also had an overhaul. Miraclespan.co.uk/ sent their best man all the way from Lincolnshire to replace the rollers and fit an new personnel door. This now allows us to get in and out of the shed without having to open the big barn doors. This was starting to get risky in high winds.  

We now have three permanent skips on site. These vary by season but typically include GREEN, METAL and GENERAL waste. In addition we are diverting small electricals and white goods, lounge furniture, paint and oil from landfill. In 2011 we segregated 26 skips of recyclable waste, leaving 52 to continue to landfill. There are bottle and co-mingled bins located outside the gates. This gives 7 day access for deposits of bottles, cans, plastics, card and newspaper.