Carluke recycling booking system starts this month

South Lanarkshire Council hopes it will make it more convenient for residents.

From Monday, February 28, you will need to have booked a slot to dispose of household waste at the site. The online booking system will go live from Monday, February 21, for access the following week.

For the initial few weeks, waste staff will still try to accommodate anyone without an appointment, but there are no guarantees.

And from April 1 no-one will get access to the site unless they have made an online booking or called 0303 123 1020 to book a slot.

Councillor John Anderson, chairman of the community and enterprise resources committee, said: “We appreciate that lengthy queues at our recycling centres can be incredibly frustrating for visitors.

“We believe the online booking system will help to remove that frustration, reducing congestion at the site and meaning visitors are in and out without any delays.

“We will analyse the success of this pilot and will report to future committees with recommendations based on those findings.”

During peak times, including summer months, weekends and public holidays, the demand at household waste and recycling centres can be significant. Access roads can become congested, which in turn can impact on local businesses and cause frustration.

Carluke is the only centre taking part in the pilot. It is managed by the council, the five others by Biffa.