An installation programme began on 1 February in Bargeddie, Langloan, Kirkwood, Kirkshaws and Old Monkland and will then move to other areas. The new bins will be located near public roads and in the busiest areas of towns and villages and will be emptied mechanically by bin lorries.

While some smaller bins, which can overflow and need to be emptied more often, will be removed, the overall capacity will increase significantly across North Lanarkshire.

Details of the installation programme are available at Street Bin Locations (arcgis.com)

All types of litter, including bagged dog waste, can be placed in the large bins.

The locations and emptying frequency of the new bins is set out in a strategy agreed by the council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee. A public consultation to inform the strategy was carried out last year following an initial roll out of bins in the Northern Corridor, Forgewood in Motherwell, country parks and town centres in 2021.

“Our new litter bin strategy will make sure we provide a modern, efficient service that keeps our communities clean for everyone,” said Councillor Helen Loughran, Convener of the Environment and Climate Change Committee.

“The high quality, large capacity bins will be located where they’re needed most and emptied regularly by bin lorry crews, allowing us to prioritise and make best use of our resources.

“Thank you to everyone who took part in our consultation and has helped inform the strategy. We will continue to work with communities and elected members to ensure the locations and emptying frequency meet local needs.”

More than 2.300 responses were received during the public consultation and the general results were:

Bins should be placed in busy locations including bus shelters, train stations, car parks, entrances to parks, public buildings, schools and colleges, cemeteries, and near fast food and convenience shops.

While bins can’t be placed in all residential areas, they should be located near grassed areas used for dog walking, where there is a demand.

A cleaning programme should be introduced, with bins in town centres inspected and cleaned more often than others.

The majority of bins will be emptied by bin lorry crews but, in exceptional circumstances, bins can be serviced manually where there is a need.

Frequency of emptying bins will be decided based on the use and location.

Before each bin is installed, a risk assessment is carried out to ensure it can be serviced safely and the council meets its obligations to staff under the Health and Safety at Work Act.