Edinburgh's streets are dirtier and more littered than they were four years ago, according to latest figures - your views online

"A totally broken system. Unfit for purpose. The City is filthy, the bins are broken and overflowing and vermin are everywhere”

Overflowing litter bins are becoming a bigger problem

Mean streets

Edinburgh's streets are dirtier and more littered than they were four years ago, according to latest figures.

Angela Astor

The communal bins need emptied more than once a week. In some areas one tenement\stairs can have between 6-16 flats. That's one bucket overfilled straight away. The lids are not fit for purpose, often easily broken when being emptied, then if overflowing the gulls add to the problem. The lazy will leave their bags lying about too. I remember all the discussion when these bins were proposed, most of the problems raised then have occurred. I know an area of 72 flats with three recycling and three mixed refuse – totally inadequate.

Scott MacKellar

When do the bins in the city centre actually get emptied? No matter what time of day I head out for a walk, they are overflowing with litter everywhere. Really is a disgrace. The council need to do something urgently about this as it is getting worse.

Susan Stevens

The lack of bins and staff to empty them in Scotland is absolutely disgusting. On a recent visit to Loch Lomond, it was the same. An area designated as an area of outstanding beauty had overflowing bins with rubbish piled around each one!

Willie Leith

A totally broken system. Unfit for purpose. The City is filthy, the bins are broken and overflowing and vermin are everywhere. I think if it was possible to get through to them with complaints, then it would’ve worked by now.

Fiona Osborne Smith

Rats galore! Bin collections have been changed to save money and are far too infrequent! More council tax = less service. Our beautiful city is an embarrassment.

Liz Lamb

In Spain, every night from about 10pm, the communal and recycling bins are emptied.

Irene Cooper

Certainly not a beautiful city any more. Rubbish everywhere, dog dirt bags, over-filled litter bins and lying outside the bins. I have complained a few times as when it.s warm it stinks! It's time to tidy our city.

David Black

The Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse states that the department should be properly resourced. There are no caveats regarding that statutory duty. The Code also states that after an area/street has been cleansed it should be left clean. That everything should be removed from litter, waste, leaves and dirt or grit thereby preventing the growth of weeds.

Linda Reid Willis

The council should be utterly ashamed, but I guess they don’t care.

Liz Crosbie

If people were to take their litter home with them as well it would help, but I agree bins should be emptied more often. I can’t complain; where I live in Colinton our sreets are very clean and communal bins are emptied every week. We also have four recycling bins and a communal food bin.

David Parry-Jones

Edinburgh is a disgrace. It’s not the people that are at fault it’s the council. Up goes everybody’s taxes, down come all services.

Avril Rodger

What about a page ,The Real Edinburgh, where everyone can post photographs of the neglect taking place in our once beautiful city? Everyone can visit the site to get a real idea of what they are coming to visit before spending their hard earned cash and councillors, if they can be bothered, can explain where and what the workforce are doing.

Alison Howie

Having been in London recently, the streets there are so much cleaner. Lots of street cleaning presence.

Jane Malcolm

Also open up the recycling depots – no wonder there is all this fly tipping. You have to book an appointment. I drove round Sighthill industrial estate – disgrace what's dumped there.

Mo Connolly

Instead of collecting figures,why not place your efforts on getting places cleaned up? Everyone is well aware that there is lots of rubbish lying around,and it’s not just Covid to blame. People are not bothered about keeping places tidy any more.

Gareth Hamilton

Don’t need figures, just have to open your eyes and look around down side streets etc. Town is a mess.

Frank Brown

Get community service to do it – give them something worthwhile to do.

David Youngs

The issue is there’s been a cut back in staff, not a lack bins. As a result the staff in street cleansing are struggling to get round all the bins they do have. As an ex-member of street cleansing I have seen small sweeps that can help not even leave the depots because they don’t have the person power.