A Renfrewshire councillor has raised concerns after households were told the council will no longer post printed bin calendars — instead directing residents to print their own.
Residents across the area received letters this week setting out the festive-period changes to grey, blue and green bins, along with confirmation that brown bin collections will pause from 22nd December 2025 to 4th January 2026.
The council says it has introduced a wider range of online tools for residents, including downloadable annual calendars, digital diary integration and email reminders. The move away from automatic paper copies has been described as an environmental decision, though printed versions can still be requested by anyone who needs one. The letters sent out this week were issued only to households affected by festive-period changes.
Scottish Labour councillor Gill Graham said the move away from printed calendars sends a mixed message. She said: “Like others I received a letter from Renfrewshire Council today saying ‘We have improved the online options for checking your bin collection calendar on our website. For this reason and given it’s not good for the environment, we have stopped posting printed bin collection calendars to households’.
“On the Renfrewshire Council website you can now view your calendar… and print it at home. Alternatively you can request a printed copy online.
“When I asked earlier this year I was advised printed copies would be available. That’s now changed.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “We have improved the range of ways everyone can access information about their bin collections online to suit their individual preferences. People can view their future collection dates, download their annual calendar, add collection dates to their digital calendars and get email reminders.
“We’re stopping providing printed calendars as standard as it’s not good for the local environment, but anyone who needs a printed calendar can download and print it at home or contact us and we’ll post their calendar out to them.
“Letters were issued to residents who needed to be informed of a change to their bin collection date due to falling on one of the festive holidays. Over the coming weeks, we’re raising awareness of the new bin collection features and changes to waste and recycling services over the festive period.”