Overflowing bin hubs cause concern for residents

Residents says missed collections and reduced capacity have caused a "hygiene disaster"

Kate McNab is not happy with the new bin hub system outside her flat in Govan.

Glasgow's tenement flats traditionally kept their bins in their back courts but the council has been rolling out new shared bin hubs across the city which have been placed on the street in front of people's homes.

The council says the new hubs will improve recycling, clean up the back court areas and create a safer work environment for bin men, who have previously warned of a "severe health and safety crisis" due to rat infestations.

But Kate is one of numerous residents who say the new system has not delivered what was promised.

Kate McNab says the council has not delivered what was promised

"Our back court was immaculate, and now we've got overflowing bins, smells, flies, and nowhere to put anything," she says.

Other residents have also complained that there is now less space for waste and the new bins are being emptied much less often than they were told they would be.

One called it a "hygiene disaster", with plastic bags left by the side of the hubs spilling their contents on the street.

The rollout of the new bin hubs in Govan, Ibrox and Cardonald followed pilot schemes in Pollokshields, Haghill and Finnieston in 2023.

During the pilot, the council told BBC Scotland it acknowledged key concerns around access, odours, fly-tipping, and missed collections.

To fix this, it promised more frequent uplifts and daily monitoring to prevent overflow and antisocial behaviour.

Yet, in Govan, residents like Kate say those same issues have resurfaced.

'A complete joke'

The council insists the general waste from the new bin hubs is being collected every four days, double the previous collection time of eight days for the back court system, but Kate says that's "a complete joke".

"So much for these four days," she says, "it's not happening."

She reports bins overflowing for more than eight days, claiming her street is repeatedly missed while nearby areas are serviced.

The council says the bins are being emptied every four days

Under the previous system, a close with six flats would have a 240 litre capacity waste bin per flat.

Each new hub includes two general waste bins of 1,200 litres each but the council states that "each hub can support up to 40 properties", reducing capacity to as little as 60 litres each.

"Due to the frequency of collection the capacity for waste containment in the hub rises significantly," the council says.

It has also increased the range of materials that can be recycled to include plastics and metals, which will divert waste from the general refuse bins.

Residents still maintain there has been a reduction in space and, combined with missed collections, this is contributing to bins overflowing more frequently.

Catherine Robertson, another Govan hub user, says the bins on her street are "overflowing constantly".

She says: "The rubbish is getting picked up every 10 days if you're lucky. The street's a mess. My house stinks because we can't take the rubbish out every day."

Catherine has mobility issues and uses a wheelchair, and says the bins are inaccessible for her.

"The bin hubs are just too big and not suitable for disabled people, it was easier before", she says.

Since the 2023 pilot, the bin hubs have been questioned on their suitability for people with access needs.

The accessibility issue was flagged during the 2023 pilot programme in Pollokshields and the council said that residents with mobility issues would be assessed on an individual basis and alternative options would be considered.

Catherine says this has not happened.

"They've spent millions on this, and they didn't even think about elderly or disabled people," she adds.

Govan resident Jim feels he can no longer open his window without odours or insects entering his house

According to Kate McNab, placing the new hubs in front of people's flats has created another issue.

"They promised the bin hubs wouldn't smell," she says.

"It's October and they already stink, and they've only been in two weeks."

"I've already started seeing flies since they put them in. My house has never stunk before, and now it does."

She says her elderly neighbour Jim has a hub right outside his window.

"The man is sitting at his bedroom window looking out onto a bin hub," she says.

"Poor Jim says every time he opens his window, all he can smell is bins."

The council said the improved collection frequency reduced the risk of odours or flies.

"We have not received any complaints on this matter since the introduction of the hubs," it said.

Residents fear vermin will be attracted to the overflow of rubbish

David McGowran, another Govan resident, says the bins are not locked, meaning there are ongoing issues with fly tipping which also cause the bins to overflow.

"I can clearly see the bin hubs being used by the kebab shop and the off-licence across the road," he says.

"Big oil canisters and boxes not from any flat here."

David called it a "hygiene disaster" and says he is concerned that moving bins from the back courts to the street has simply shifted, rather than solved, the city's vermin problem.

"Seagulls, squirrels, foxes, they all get into the bins. If a black bag is sitting on top, the seagull is going to tear it right open", he says.

There is also worry that rats, previously contained to more hidden areas, are now being drawn to the overflowing hub bins on the street, increasing the risk of infestations near homes and parked cars.

The council said bin hubs were for residents only and said monitoring teams would follow up with businesses "to remind them of their responsibilities on waste disposal".