Rubbish revolution moves underground

Published on Wednesday 14 April 2004 01:00

UNDERGROUND bins are set to be installed at Waterfront flats in Edinburgh in a trial project which could revolutionise refuse collection in the Capital.

Seven of the huge bins would be installed beside hundreds of flats proposed for the Granton Waterfront as part of the multi-million pound redevelopment of the site.

The bins, which each hold more than one of the city’s black wheelie bins, would be the first of their kind in the UK.

The technology has been used on the Continent for many years, in countries such as Spain, Holland and Germany.

The beauty of the underground bins is that only a small chute is visible to a passer-by. When they are emptied, a section of the pavement is raised and the bin is lifted up on jacks before being attached to the bin lorry and emptied.

The consortium behind the scheme, made up of the Burrell Company and Waterfront Edinburgh Ltd, believes if the bins prove a success, they could be an alternative to the much-maligned giant black wheelie bins.

The consortium has applied for council permission to install two of the bins to handle the waste for 130 new flats which it hopes to build on the Waterfront redevelopment site.

Andrew Burrell, managing director of the Burrell Company, said the design could be the way forward for the rest of the city.

He said: "These new bins are out of sight, they are clean and efficient and they help improve the environment of the whole area. If they are as effective as we have heard then I would certainly think they could be used at other parts of Edinburgh where bins are a problem."

Mr Burrell said there would be recycling bins for glass, plastic and paper built on the site as well.

A total of seven underground bins would be used across the site, and a spokesman for Waterfront Edinburgh Ltd said it was eager to see how well the bins coped. "This is a pilot project which is being backed by the city planning office, and really we are looking to see how effective it is," he said.

Following a trip to Holland in 2000, environment leaders said they wanted to dig up the Grassmarket central reservation to install underground containers for recycling. But the plans proved impossible.

Mike Drewry, the city’s director for environmental and consumer services, said that while it might not be possible to bring the bins in across the city, it was the type on innovative design they wanted to see more of.

"As this is a completely new development, it has been possible to incorporate underground bins into the design of these buildings," he said.

"Discussions with the developers have ensured that this waste disposal system will successfully operate with the council’s current refuse collection arrangements.

"If the planning committee approves the application at Waterfront Avenue then this will be the first scheme of its type in the UK and it is our intention to monitor its progress to evaluate its success.

"We are keen to work with developers and would like to see innovative methods of waste disposal incorporated into new residential developments."