COMMUNITIES across Swansea are getting hundreds of new waste bins to encourage residents and visitors to play their part in keeping the city clean and tidy.
Over the past six months more than 400 new bins have been installed to replace existing bins in parks, streets and at beaches as part of a range of measures that will improve bin provision and help deal with litter and dog waste.
Out-dated dog waste bins are being replaced by larger bins that can accommodate litter and dog waste as part of the Council’s promise to create a cleaner environment for everyone and to encourage residents to take pride in their community.
Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community, said the new bins were being installed in busy locations around the city as well as in some parks and at beaches like Langland and Caswell.
He said: “We’ve got a network of around 2,000 litter and dog bins in communities all over Swansea. Emptying and maintaining them is a huge task and one that is vital in terms of keeping communities clean.
“Overflowing litter and dog bins often give the public the impression we are not emptying them regularly, which isn’t the case. Factors such as good weather conditions can encourage more people to go out and about and this can quickly lead to bins becoming full.
“There are also instances of some people misusing bins by using them to dispose of their domestic household waste and/or fly tipping black bags and other waste adjacent. This is against the law and totally unacceptable.”
He said: “Over the last six months we’ve been working with ward members, Caru Cymru – Keep Wales Tidy – and local residents to survey existing litter and dog bin locations to assess their use, condition and look at whether they need replacement.
“We’re also looking to phase out the red-coloured dog waste bins because we’re finding that people dump dog waste bags on lids rather than deposit bags inside, frequently misleading others into thinking they’re full and leaving an unsightly mess behind.
“We’ll remove them if they are worn out and wherever that happens they’ll be replaced by new bins accepting both litter and dog waste. Existing litter bins can also be used to dispose of bagged dog waste”
So far surveys and bin upgrades have been completed in 18 wards from Clydach in the north to St Thomas in the south and from Gorseinon in the west to Townhill in the east. Work in the remaining wards is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Last year the Council also introduced new bins on beaches specifically for disposable BBQs. The intention was to encourage people to use the bins instead of abandoning the BBQs on beaches and risk injury to others. After a winter in storage, they are being reintroduced for the summer months.
