Streets of Shame: Union in Easter Queenslie Recycling Centre warning

Members of the GMB union insist the Easter Queenslie Recycling Centre has seen an influx in deposits since the new refuse pick up schedule was introduced.

Chris Mitchell, the convenor for branch 40, maintains the new rotation puts additional strain on staff who are trying to cope with large piles of rubbish which has accumulated in the area.

As previously reported, the branch launched its Streets of Shame campaign earlier this month in a bid to tackle an alleged increase in the piles of litter found on Glasgow’s streets.

Chris said: “If your bin is full, you’re taking the excess waste to the centre – because the household bins are only being collected every three weeks – this is making the centres much busier than normal.

“We have seen a queue which caused problems with refuse trucks getting into the centre because of the traffic.

“The piles of rubbish are just getting bigger and bigger, meaning more rubbish on the streets.”

Read more: Union slams Glasgow litter in 'Streets of Shame' campaign

It is hoped the three-weekly bin collection will encourage more use of the other household bins available, thus encouraging more recycling.

Glasgow City Council insists while recycling centres are busier than normal, it is business as usual at the Easter Queenslie Road site.

Chris Mitchell said additional strain is being placed on workers

Staff have managed two queues in recent months, including one in the lead up to Christmas and the other on January 7, which was caused by a temporary equipment ­failure.

The local authority’s website directs householders with ­excess waste to travel to ­recycling centres in between collections to avoid a build-up of rubbish in gardens and streets.

However, councillor Paul Carey has warned a city-wide three-weekly collection calendar will increase waiting times for depots.

He said: “A number of constituents have complained to me that they have had to take their refuse to the cleansing depot as a direct result of the three weekly collections that have been introduced.

“Some people are waiting up to an hour to dump their refuse. This is clearly a direct result of the three-weekly collections and, once this three-weekly collection is introduced to the whole of the city, this will only compound this problem across all of the depots.

Councillor Paul Carey

As previously reported, the move to introduce three-weekly collections across Glasgow was met with anger by opposition councillors who blasted the decision as a “cost cutting exercise”.

Main door properties in the north east of the city began the reduced pick-up schedule in ­October, last year.

Council chiefs insist it is designed to increase recycling rates, which currently see Glasgow further behind than other Scottish cities.

A spokesman for the council said: “It’s disappointing that the GMB appears to be misrepresenting the facts for the sake of its own agenda. There were queues at Queenslie for a handful of days either side of Christmas as people responded to lockdown announcements and undertook home clear outs.

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“All of our waste centres remain well used and continue to operate with appropriate Covid-restrictions in place that sometimes means visitors can be required to wait for a short time.

“However, there is zero evidence to suggest that the situation at Queenslie is in any way connected to the introduction of three-weekly collections in north-east Glasgow.”

He added: “The amount of general household waste currently being received at Queenslie is fully in line with previous years.

“And there is growing ­evidence that the change to three-weekly kerbside collections in the north east Glasgow is working as was always intended with recycling rates already improving.

“Three weekly collections for general waste bins have been effective in other local authority areas and there is no reason why that success can’t be ­repeated in Glasgow.

“Feedback given directly by frontline staff also indicates they welcome the new arrangements as it provides a more ­efficient and streamlined working environment for staff. The change to three-weekly kerbside collection is part of a wide-range of measures aimed at encouraging more recycling in Glasgow and taking us closer to the national target of 70% of waste recycled by 2025.”