ARRANGING to get rid of your extra household waste at a recycling centre in Fife is "almost as cumbersome as catching a plane".

Independent councillor Linda Holt said there was a "deplorable level of uptake" with members of the public booking less than half of the available slots at six of the nine facilities that were open.

However, Fife Council's environmental spokesperson dismissed her criticism as "ill-informed comment" and insisted the "invaluable" booking system had been welcomed by those who use it, with many hoping it would become a permanent feature.

Cllr Holt said: "Fife Resource Solutions (FRS) is not offering Fifers the service they want or need, and a much more flexible, customer-focused approach is needed.

"People without online access cannot use a recycling site because you have to make an appointment in advance.

"The process is also almost as cumbersome as catching a plane as you have to keep to a 10-minute slot, print out your booking and bring specific ID with you.

"On top of that, you can only dispose of those items that you can dispose of anyway in your normal bins or at recycling points.

"Bulky household items, soil and rubble or electrical items are not allowed."

Fife's recycling centres began to re-open last month, with the exception of Cowdenbeath and Cupar, and figures for the two weeks of operation from June 24 showed that only three out of nine centres had a booking rate of more than 50 per cent.

Lochhead, north of Dunfermline, saw 53 per cent of slots booked but it was much higher at Dalgety Bay, with a 95 per cent uptake. Kirkcaldy was the other site, with 66 per cent.

Cllr Holt added: "Given this approach, there is a fear that, post-COVID, such low uptake figures could be used as an argument to justify restricting services at some recycling sites permanently or closing some altogether."

Robin Baird, chief operating officer of FRS, which runs recycling services on behalf of Fife Council, said: “Thanks to the success of the booking system, almost all of our recycling centres have been able to re-open, and you can take larger landfill items as long as you can dispose of them unaided."

He thanked Fifers for their patience and added: "I urge Fifers to keep going in this way and, hopefully, we can continue to avoid long queues and any issues as our centres reopen safely for everyone."

Cllr Ross Vettraino, convener of the environment, protective services and community safety committee, said the booking system enabled social distancing and provided the "smoothest possible flow" through the centres, while the data helped officers prioritise where staff were needed.

He added: "I’m all for ‘a flexible, more customer-focused approach’. Using the same staff to service two recycling centres is a really good way to maximise available resources, while still meeting the needs of the community, and is a good example of such an approach!"

“People without online access can use the centres. In my experience, family, friends or neighbours, who do have access, are always willing to help and I’m sure that every local councillor would also be pleased to assist.

"When they are back to normal operation, I am looking to bookings being made via the call centre or local offices, as well as online."