Edinburgh residents urged to take dog poo home if bin strike goes ahead

Council chiefs have published advice to the public on what they should do if the eight-day walk-out by waste and cleansing staff scheduled to start on Wednesday August 14 cannot be averted.

The Edinburgh bin strike in August 2022 left rubbish strewn in the streets | TSPL

The council says the strike would mean there were no bin collections, no street cleaning, recycling centres would be closed and flytipping and special uplift services would be suspended. Bins are quickly expected to start overflowing.

For residents with communal bins, the advice urges:  "If the strike goes ahead please do not add to full bins.  Check nearby bins instead, and when these are all full, store your waste at home, or in your back green or garden if possible.  Do not leave bags next to bins unless this is unavoidable, as it can become a hazard."

People are also advised to continue separating recyclable waste and storing it and to double bag food waste and keep it in a sealed container, as cool as possible. The council also urges:  “Take used takeaway food containers back to the place you bought them.”

The advice on dog poo appears in a list of frequently asked questions: "What should I do with my dog’s poo if bins are full?   Keep bagging your dog’s poo when you’re out and about and if the bins are full, please double bag it and take it home."

There is no further advice on what people should do with it then and a council spokesperson declined to elaborate. 

Unions have given formal notice of the strike action, which would run from August 14 until August 22, after rejecting a 3.2 per cent pay offer.

Councils across the country would be hit by the walk-out, but the stoppage would have the biggest impact in Edinburgh because it would be happening at Festival time when the city is at its busiest. A bin strike in August 2022 led to piles of rubbish in the streets.

The Scottish Government is currently looking to see if more money can be found for an improved offer.

The council advice tells people: “If you use our wheelie bin service, please do not put your bins out on your scheduled collection day until the strike ends.  If you use our communal bin service, please do not leave waste next to full bins or on the street.”

More detailed advice includes:

• Non-recyclable waste collections (grey bins). Please keep your waste safe, secure and away from pavements and roads. Consider using a garage, garden or driveway and ensure strong bin bags are properly secured.
• Mixed recycling collections (green bins). Please keep your recycling clean and flattened, and stored safely.
• Food waste collections (grey/black food caddies). Please do not put your food bin out. Please ensure your kerbside food waste bin is closed and secured to prevent animal access.
• Glass collections. Please rinse bottles and jars and store these at home. Please do not use on street or local bring site recycling points to dispose of your glass. We do not have the staff resources to empty these or clean up fly-tipped material.
• Garden waste collections. We understand the disappointment this will cause and at the moment, we cannot advise when the service will be running normally again.

The council says it expects there will be no street sweeping and litter bin emptying. And it adds: “Please either use a bin that’s not full or take it home and double bag it to reduce smells. We would encourage you to take used takeaway food containers back to the place you bought them.”

Advice for businesses says: “If your business provides packaging that could become litter (eg takeaway food or drinks) please encourage your customers to bring their litter back to your premises to dispose of it or to take it home with them. Provide reusable packaging for customers wherever possible.”

Public toilets will also be closed during any strike action.