Fears waste could pile up as cost of electrical uplift soars in Glasgow

There is a warning old fridges and washing machines could pile high on the streets of Glasgow because people cannot afford to have them taken away.

The cost to have large electrical items picked up by council workers is jumping from £5 to £25 per item.

It is part of cost-cutting measures introduced by Glasgow City Council's budget to save £107m over the next three years.

The local authority said large electrical equipment is expensive to recycle and the increased charge will go towards covering the cost.

A spokesperson said: "This measure has been agreed as part of a budget that required to find £107m worth savings from council services over the next three years.

“The budget has sought to target poverty and invest in support for communities with Council Tax frozen for the next year.”

The price of all other uplifts will remain at £5 per item.

'Unaffordable'

Chris Mitchell represents refuse collectors across the city and says it's going to create a mess.

He said: "I think it's shocking to be honest with you, but I think Glasgow City Council is under a lot of pressure.

"I think the funding the council received this year is absolutely ridiculous, for the size of the city.

"We can't provide services and now what's happening is it's having a detrimental effect on the public.

"I can see the frustrations in the public and we're trying our hardest."

John Williamson empties bins and says it's completely unaffordable: "There's no gas canisters in the back of them because obviously people are just ripping them off and they're going to the scrappies with bits of that, and leaving the rest of it on the streets.

"If we put it into layman's terms for someone like myself who works in Glasgow - that's roughly about two hours worth of working time to pay for one of these uplifts.

"It will have a drastic impact on Glasgow, no doubt about it."

Consultations underway

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “Local authorities remain responsible for decisions regarding waste and recycling services and the operation of collections.

“We are making one of the biggest investments in a generation to modernise recycling in Scotland through our £70m Recycling Improvement Fund which funds a range of local authority projects, including more frequent recycling collections and collection of waste electricals.

“A joint four nations consultation on waste electrical and electronic equipment is currently open which aims to deliver a major improvement on the existing system.

"It proposes producers take greater responsibility for the end-of-life management of these products - including their collection, treatment and recycling - making it easier for consumers to dispose of this type of waste in an environmentally friendly way.

“This could in future mean there is a requirement for producers to pay for collection, therefore covering the costs to local authorities and removing the need for households to pay for these collections.”

The consultation is accessible here.

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