Littering is an issue that affects us all as is overflowing bins. So South Lanarkshire Council are investing in a solution which should help improve this situation.
During the longer, lighter – and sometimes warmer – summer months, the impact of litter on our streets, parks, neighbourhoods and open spaces can be at its most significant. It is a serious form of anti-social behaviour that can lead to a range of issues from poor mental health to serious injury.
South Lanarkshire Council is working with communities to make sure that no one has an excuse to drop litter in the first place.
This includes the purchase of six ‘smart’ solar bins which were successfully trialled over a year in James Hamilton Heritage Park, East Kilbride.
As well as collecting litter of all types, including dog waste, the bins – which are powered entirely by solar energy – are designed to:
- Compact waste to significantly increase capacity
- Send a signal when the bin is nearly full
- Collect data on the use and volumes of waste deposited
With the bins only being emptied when needed, journeys by grounds staff to and from their locations are reduced by around half – from daily, to roughly three times a week.
In turn, fewer plastic bin liners are needed – further supporting the aim of reducing single-use plastic items – and carbon emissions will also be reduced thanks to fewer journeys to empty the bins.
Both will play a part in the council’s commitment to reaching Net Zero by 2045.
Explained Councillor Robert Brown, Chair of the Community and Enterprise Resources Committee: “The council is determined to stamp down on this problem once and for all, and to do so by making use of increasingly ‘smart’ and environmentally friendly methods.
“The solar bins were tried out very successfully in East Kilbride with overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors. I am delighted that, as we promised at the beginning of the trial, we have evaluated the outcome and invested in stock of our own.
“South Lanarkshire is a fantastic and unique mix of urban and rural. As a place to live, work and visit, it offers so much. Together with the majority in our communities, we take our role in maintaining that reputation very seriously.”
