A NEW booking system will be introduced at North Ayrshire's household waste recycling centres.

The move is aimed at making visits smoother and quicker for residents.

The council operates four household waste recycling centres (HWRCs) in Irvine, Kilbirnie, Largs, and Brodick.

Currently, householders can turn up at any time during opening hours, often leading to long queues at peak periods.

North Ayrshire Council's cabinet gave the green light for the introduction of a digital booking system, expected to bring benefits to both residents and staff.

The system will allow customers to book slots at HWRC sites at a convenient time, enabling staff to help offload their household waste safely and correctly, minimising contamination, and improving recycling.

The system has already proved successful in several other local authority areas.

The new digital booking system is expected to be implemented in the spring of 2025, with further details on how to book a slot to be shared with residents in advance.

Councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for green environment and economy, said: "It is key that we get a system which not only works for our residents but also for the hard-working staff who provide a fantastic service.

"One of the main benefits we would expect residents to notice is the reduction of long queues at sites, particularly at peak times.

“By having a pre-booked slot, we should see fewer queues, shorter waiting times and an all-round better service.

"Additionally, we should see significant environmental benefits with fewer emissions from vehicles sitting in traffic and better recycling with a reduction in cross-contamination of waste."