On-Street Bin Hub Service To Extend Into South West Glasgow

The new bin hubs capture an expanded range of plastic and metal containers alongside a separate bin for paper and card. The 'twin stream' approach has helped improve the level of materials recycled from three city areas where a total of 144 hubs have been piloted - Pollokshields, Haghill and Anderston. Food waste collections have also been reintroduced for all flats within the pilot areas.

With the council committing £7.2m in this year's budget in support of a roll-out of on-street bin hubs, Cessnock, Govan, Craigton and Cardonald have been identified as the next communities where the 'twin stream' approach for flats will be introduced. Installation of bin hubs in Cessnock is due to start next month with the development of detailed plans for Govan, Craigton and Cardonald getting underway.

On-street bin hubs are mainly intended for streets with tenement flats where there are difficulties with access to bin areas or where bins are already placed on the street, although different measures may be necessary at specific locations.  Assessments of individual properties will always be undertaken to ensure the installation of an on-street bin hub is suitable at specific locations.

With grey wheelie bins for plastic and metal containers currently being distributed to houses throughout the south west of the city where bins are presented on the pavement for uplift as part of a city-wide programme, the eventual aim is to ensure all Glasgow residents have access to a 'twin stream' recycling service.

Councillor Ruairi Kelly, City Convener for Neighbourhood Services and Assets, welcomed the forthcoming expansion of the on-street bin hub service, which also provides more frequent waste collections from flats and safer working for staff.

Councillor Kelly said: "There's been a very promising response to the introduction of on-street bin hubs in the pilot areas with the return on recycling showing significant improvement.  The twin stream approach with separate bins for plastic and metal containers and paper products appears to be working well and is encouraging greater participation in recycling.

"Improving the level of recycling recovered from flatted properties in Glasgow has long proved to be a stubborn challenge. Our assessments indicated on-street bin hubs that take an expanded range of materials were the best option for boosting recycling from flats and the initial results of our pilot are proving this to be correct.

"We're backing this approach with substantial investment and there is a lot of detailed work still to do. But with twin stream recycling being introduced through the on-street bin hubs and also for kerbside collections, there are clear signs we are turning the corner on Glasgow's record on recycling."

The £7.2m investment agreed by the council for on-street bin hubs will go towards procuring 4800 1280 litre bins and 1200 units to house those bins.  Further investment is likely to be required to ensure all properties receive a twin stream recycling service.

All residents will be notified in advance of when they will receive the twin stream recycling service along with detailed information on how the service operates.

Further details can be found in a paper on waste management solutions for flatted properties which was presented to the Environment and Liveable Neighbourhoods City Policy Development Committee on August 27, 2024, which is available via this link.