More Glasgow fly-tipping being caused by bin hub abuse

The council’s £7.2 million flagship project, which is aimed at improving recycling rates in parts of the city dominated by flats, will see a raft of 1280-litre bins and specially-designed units to house them installed on scores of streets.

The hubs, which were first introduced in July, have separate sections for paper and cardboard and another for mixed containers. So far there are about 3,500 flats being served by them, with their positive impact on recycling rates having already been highlighted by councillors.

However, union chiefs say that some members of the public are exploiting the new scheme and the regular uplifts the hubs receive by using them as dumping grounds for bulk items and other household waste.

Chris Mitchell of GMB (Image: Gordon Terris)

Chris Mitchell, GMB convener for cleansing, says that people’s irresponsible actions are putting an otherwise successful project in jeopardy.

He told the Glasgow Times: “The concept of the hubs is good, and it is important that we encourage people to recycle and be responsible for their own waste.

“However, what we are seeing is people using the sheds that house the hubs to discard larger items from their homes as opposed to seeking or paying for a bulk uplift. We have seen everything from mattresses to chest of drawers taken along and just dumped. When we are already engaged in a running battle with litter, asking our members to then have to deal with this is far from ideal.

“I don’t know if the council needs to look at stricter enforcements and punishments to tackle anyone caught using these hubs as dumps, but there needs to be some sort of deterrent introduced or this is a problem that is only going to escalate.”

Rubbish is being dumped alongside the hubs. (Image: Gordon Terris)

Mr Mitchell says that problems have already been flagged to him in Finnieston near to the Hidden Lane, pictured, and he fears the problems will worsen when the scheme is rolled out in the coming weeks to flats in Cessnock, Govan, Craigton and Cardonald, which are next in line for the new hubs.

He added: “The problems in these parts of Glasgow are well documented, they have been a real challenge for refuse workers and street cleaning teams for years, with rats and vermin a particular hazard and concern.

“My fear is that people will continue to abuse the new hubs when they are installed in a similar fashion to what is going on elsewhere. That is only going to make an already serious issue even more of a problem.”

The initial impact of the scheme across the city has been hailed as a winner by councillors since it was introduced.

Union says people need to start disposing of waste responsibly (Image: Gordon Terris)

Scottish Greens Dennistoun councillor Anthony Carroll said: “In my ward in Haghill we have recorded 80 per cent recycling rates, which is the complete opposite to what it was before.”

Fellow SNP councillor Paul McCabe added: “Like many residents living in tenement flats I was quite sceptical when I first heard about this plan, but I’m delighted by the progress that has been made.

“Our bin men come sometimes as early as 7am so that noise will disappear. The dirt coming through the close will disappear and We will get our back gardens back, which can be redeveloped.”

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council says that they are working hard to bring everyone on board to use the scheme how it was intended.

They added: “Unfortunately there have been persistent issues with domestic waste bins at this specific location in Finnieston for a number of years.

“It was unsafe for our staff to pull bins from the storage area at the rear of the property and revised arrangements also provided unsatisfactory containment of waste.

“We are hopeful including the address in the bin hub pilot will lead to improvements in waste management at this location with regular monitoring of the bin hub in place..

“Residents involved in the on-street bin hub pilot, including those in Finnieston and Anderston, have responded well to the new arrangements, which include extended recycling options, more frequent bin collections and safer work for staff.

“Recycling rates have improved significantly throughout the three pilot areas and more frequent collections helps us respond quickly to any issues as they emerge, such as fly-tipping.

“Fly-tipping is an environmental crime and we will always pursue any evidence on those responsible for polluting local neighbourhoods.

“Enhanced powers now mean that anyone found liable for a fly-tipping incident will face a fine of £500.

“Our enforcement work also focuses on ensuring businesses have appropriate waste disposal contractors in place, which helps to deter commercial waste from ending up in domestic or public bins.

“We have been working with the Cessnock community ahead of the installation of on-street bin hubs and all residents will be sent detailed information on how the bin hubs operate.”