Blooming nice gesture from recycling company

Floral displays will be blooming in towns and villages across Moray this summer thanks to a gesture by the country’s largest food and garden waste recycling company.

Aberdeenshire-based Keenan Recycling has delivered a 20 tonne consignment of rich compost which community groups will use for planting out flower tubs and hanging baskets to help add a splash of colour to their neighbourhoods.

Headquartered in New Deer, Keenan Recycling collects food and garden waste from commercial businesses and local authorities – including Moray Council – to turn into premium grade compost.

The company made the community-spirited gesture after several local community councils approached Moray Council for help with their floral displays.

That was ruled out because of the council’s financial position but Keenan’s technical director, Gregor Keenan, stepped in with the offer of a lorry load of compost free of charge.

The compost was delivered to the council’s landfill site at Dallachy, near Spey Bay, earlier this week and community councils and community groups will be able to help themselves on a first come, first served basis, although priority is being given to the three community councils which made the initial approach.

Mr Keenan said: “We enjoy a very good relationship with Moray Council and we are only too delighted to be able to help these local communities which clearly take a great pride in their appearance.

“I hope the compost helps to make these communities look even brighter this summer.”

Councillor John Cowe, who chairs the council’s economic development and infrastructure services committee, said: “Moray Council has been working with Keenan Recycling for more than 12 years and every year we send almost 14,000 tonnes of food and garden waste for recycling which we collect from the kerbside and our recycling centres.

“We are very grateful for this very generous donation from the company and I am delighted that the waste materials which our communities have generated have come back to truly close the recycling loop.”

Since there is no way of telling how long the 20 ton pile might last, community groups are advised to call the Dallachy site in advance on 01343 821659 to check availability.

Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 95,510 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.

Headquartered in  Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.