NEW colourful bins have been unveiled in Aberdeen as part of a new initiative to encourage people not to litter.
The local authority has received £10,000 in funding from fast food giant McDonald’s and support from environmental charity, Hubbub, to install the 24 ‘eye-catching’ bins in Hazlehead Park, Victoria Park, Queens Terrace Gardens, and Union Terrace Gardens.
The campaign is based on the success of Hubbub’s Bristol Binning campaign and will also support the council’s existing clean up Aberdeen mass-participation initiative, which encourages bringing people together for litter picking clean ups.
Aberdeen City Council co-leader and net zero, environment, and transport committee convener, councillor Ian Yuill, said, “Council staff and people are taking part in litter picks as part of our clean up Aberdeen initiative, which encourages civic pride and makes our city a more attractive place to live through the disposal of unsightly discarded packaging on our streets.
“That is why we are delighted to team up with Hubbub and McDonald’s on the Neat Streets programme, which will enhance our efforts through the addition of the new colourful bins incentivising people to do even more to keep our streets looking their best.”
The new bin designs feature playful takes on song lyrics, gaming motifs and puns, encouraging passers-by to bin their rubbish.
Litter costs UK local authorities alone £699 million per year and continues to be a growing nationwide issue, despite research from Hubbub revealing that 62% of people feel angry when they see litter on the ground and two in five find it frustrating that there aren’t more bins or campaigns to tackle litter.
Gavin Ellis, director and co-founder at Hubbub, added, “We have a wealth of experience in tackling specific types of litter in targeted environments and are delighted to share our learnings from Bristol’s Binning with Aberdeen to develop litter-busting initiatives for their local area.”
Local McDonald’s franchisee, Mathew Jackson, who owns and operates two McDonald’s restaurants across Aberdeen, commented, “We’re delighted to be part of a project that brings Aberdeen’s communities and local council together to make a real difference across the city. As a business rooted in the community, it’s inspiring to see local voices shaping the look and feel of Aberdeen, and it’s a pleasure for us to play our part in the litter pick to kick off this great initiative. The new bins will encourage people to take pride in their surroundings and help keep the city clean for everyone who lives and works here.”
