What do we stand for
The introduction of Bin Hubs by Edinburgh City Council in Marchmont in January 2024, and other parts of the city has created significant disruption and dissatisfaction among residents. These large communal waste and recycling stations have been rolled out with minimal consultation, poor communication, and little regard for the character of the neighbourhoods or the daily lives of the people who live there.
In heritage areas like Marchmont, where pavements are narrow and homes often have no front gardens, the placement of bulky bins directly in front of residential properties has not only spoiled the visual amenity of historically significant streetscapes but also created smell, noise and disturbance. In some cases, bins have been placed directly outside residents’ windows, creating smells and noise at all hours.
The Council’s failure to meaningfully consult local residents or explore alternative options left many feeling ignored. It also undermined efforts to promote civic pride and community engagement in waste management.
Moreover, the sudden and inflexible rollout of the scheme led to confusion over collection times, misuse of bins, and increased fly-tipping. While improving recycling and collection efficiency is a valid goal, the Council’s top-down, one-size-fits-all approach resulted in unnecessary friction and reduced quality of life in affected areas. A more collaborative and sensitive strategy was urgently needed to restore trust and find workable, community-backed solutions.
It took more than a year of action by local groups like the South Meadows Action Group to eventually get the rules revised, but even now residents will still have to go through a bureaucratic review process to ask for bins to be moved to more sensible, and less sensitive locations.