Published 15 May 2023
Almost 100 tonnes of waste was removed from West Dunbartonshire communities last month during the Council’s Spring Clean Up Initiative.
The rubbish – the equivalent of around 30 skips – was collected for free in community skips positioned at key locations across Clydebank, Dumbarton and the Vale.
The clean-up operation last month saw residents dispose of waste from homes and gardens, with onsite operatives available to provide information about recycling and stop flytipping.
The team on site were also able to recycle unwanted items, including off cuts of wood, oak barrel lids and six bikes diverted to the Adult Training Suite at Levengrove Park for training opportunities. The facility also received an old cycle trailer which will be converted into a market barrow for selling plants.
In addition, wooden toys and art sets were rescued from the skips and donated to the Chatty Café; several children’s and gardening books were donated to St Patrick’s Primary School for their garden group; and large unwanted planters were reused by Bellsmyre Community Garden.
The initiative was part of the Council’s Cost of Living commitments made in 2022, with £50,000 set aside to support community improvements and help dispose of excess rubbish.
Plans for two weekend clean ups in additional areas are currently being developed.
Councillor David McBride, Convener of Infrastructure, Regeneration and Economic Development, said: “I am extremely pleased to see how well this initiative was received by our communities and how well these skips were put to use. I know that in at least one location, the skip was filled and emptied five times during the period of its stay.
“This initiative has shown the positive outcome when we work together with our communities to make improvements and ensure they can feel a sense of pride in their area.
“The team is now considering additional areas for locating skips over the course of two weekends in the near future, and information on this will be shared on the Council’s social media pages.”
Councillor Michelle McGinty, Chair of the Council’s Cost of Living Working Group, added: “The reason we set up the cross party Cost of Living Working Group was so we could take real, tangible steps to ease costs for our communities.
“The benefits of this particular initiative are two–fold as it cuts down on costs by providing residents with an opportunity to dispose of unwanted waste free of charge, but also means they will see improvements to their surroundings.
“I want to say a big thank you to the officers who made this happen, and to the communities who participated to make it such a success.”