Residents in 'discrimination' row as brown bins withdrawn

A WHOLE community in north Edinburgh has had its brown garden waste bins removed because too many people use them for household rubbish.

Council chiefs say that they turned to the radical measure of taking away 150 bins in West Pilton after tonnes of garden waste collected in the area over the last year had to be sent to landfill because it was constantly "contaminated" by household waste.

Local residents have accused council staff of discrimination by punishing everyone in the area for the actions of a few and say it would not happen in more prosperous areas.

Betty McVay, the Pilton representative on the Forth Neighbourhood Partnership, said: "Pilton and West Granton was the only area this happened. If they're doing it in north Edinburgh why don't they do it across the city? If they took away all the brown bins in Morningside there would be a hue and cry about it.

"Areas like this just get badly treated – it's discrimination to show them up in a bad light."

The bins were taken in last week and residents were told afterwards that they had to contact the council individually to request them back. They were also warned that all bins that are returned will be closely monitored to ensure they only contain garden waste.

Administrative worker Ann White, 57, is a keen gardener and recycler at her ground-floor flat on Ferry Road Drive and was angry to see her bin taken away. She said: "We always use it properly because we're very much into recycling.

"I feel my rights have been taken away. Nobody should have the right to dictate to me that they will take something away.

"Even if they return it, my concern is how they will monitor it? Unless they fit a lock, which they won't, I can't guarantee nobody else will use it when it's on the street."

A city council spokeswoman said: "For over a year we have had issues with a substantial number of brown bins in West Pilton being contaminated with household waste, which prevents it from being recycled, and results in tonnes of garden waste ending up in landfill.

"Despite sending letters and visiting households in the area, the bins were still being used for the wrong type of waste so as a last resort brown bins were withdrawn.

"Of course, we appreciate some residents do use their brown bins appropriately and we do not want to penalise them from using the service."