Glasgow Southside councillor raises concerns over missed bin collections

According to figures in a Freedom of Information request, 55 complaints about bins not being emptied were lodged with Glasgow City Council by residents in the Newlands/Auldburn ward.

But local councillor Kyle Thornton has questioned that figure.

He has voiced his concerns on the topic frequently, and feels that residents are complaining more to councillors rather than officials who deal with the problem.

Cllr Thornton said: “I would like to know how the council measure these figures.

“Fifty five missed bin collections in 12 months just does not seem right. The figure seems too low particularly with the anecdotal evidence from residents.

“I would imagine the community are continuing to report on issues especially with the blue and the grey bin.

“The green bin which is for general waste is prioritised which I understand but they are empty and the others are not.”

He continued: “I receive at least one complaint a week about bins not being emptied on time. Many residents hope they will be collected at a later date but they aren’t. In the last two months there seems to have been an increase in complaints.

“One close in my ward opted to get rid of their grey food bin because it wasn’t getting emptied on a regular basis and was attracting vermin. The smell was also a factor.”

The FOI request revealed that staff at Glasgow City Council failed to collect more than 2700 waste bins from homes across the city since last summer.

Glasgow City Council delivers a seven-day waste and recycling service to 305,000 domestic households and around 5000 commercial customers.

A council spokesman said: “We undertake over 21 million household bin collections every year and more than 99.9 per cent of collections are completed satisfactorily.

“Our cleansing team operates a highly efficient collection system, but there are occasions when collections are missed due to a range of factors.

“Difficulties with access to streets for refuse vehicles, no access to bin courts such as when a lock on a close door has been changed, recycling bins contaminated with general waste, a mechanical issue with equipment and illness within a crew can all affect collections.

“However, we do understand the inconvenience that a missed collection can cause, particularly in relation to kerbside collections.

“If a collection is missed we always look to resolve the matter as soon as possible.”