Here's how East Lothian's new recycling bags will look

The new county-wide model is due to get underway next month having been pushed back two months “due to a combination of external factors”.

The new recycling system features six waste containers, including the weighted bag for recycling plastics, cans and cartons.

A spokeswoman for East Lothian Council confirmed households throughout the county would be receiving the bags over the coming weeks.

She said: “The bags have a sealable flap to contain contents and keep rain out.

“Please note these aren’t to be used until the new weekly recycling service starts from Monday, November 15.”

East Lothian Council is introducing the new system as it moves its recycling and food waste collections to weekly instead of fortnightly.

The new bag will join the normal green household waste bin, brown garden waste bin, a blue box for paper and card, green or black box for glass bottles and jars, and a food waste caddy.

The bag has a capacity of 90 litres, compared to the boxes, which have a capacity of 55 litres.

Cardboard, which is currently collected alongside paper and card, is to be placed in a separate blue box or in another cardboard box when the changes come into force.

Residents will also be encouraged to collect used batteries in a food caddy liner and put them out on top of the green/black box for glass on collection day.

When the change in recycling model was delayed, Councillor Norman Hampshire highlighted “the twin impacts of Brexit-related delays with shipping deliveries and driver shortages, and ongoing Covid restrictions”.

In September, the local authority’s spokesman for the environment told the Courier: “Unfortunately, there has been a further delay to the delivery of the new weighted bags to be used in our household recycling collections.

“The shipping containers are currently being held at the port in Felixstowe and the full consignment will not be delivered to East Lothian Council until the middle of October.”