Smart waste bins to be trialled in West Lothian

Smart waste bins which compact rubbish  dumped in them and help keep the area cleaner are being trialled in Linlithgow this summer.

The BigBelly bins  also use Cloud-based technonolgy to inform the council when they need  emptied and  put a stop to the surrounding areas being covered in rubbish pulled out by scavenging birds or vermin.

West Lothian Council Countryside Manager Andy Johnston told a meeting of Linlithgow’s Local Area Committee the BigBelly bins would be placed at sites around Linlithgow Loch.

The bins are enclosed so birds cannot extract rubbish or food wrappers and they also crush down carry-out food containers and so can take more rubbish before needing emptied- saving on operational costs.

The bins present a sealed look  to the outside similar to the way that clothing banks do, with a large collection tray which is pulled out and then  drops  the rubbish into the body of the bin.

The firm BigBelly brands itself as “smart solutions for cities” and guarantees an end to  overflowing waste bins and fly-blown litter.

They have been rolled out for use in high traffic areas of Scottish cities in the last two years.

By Stuart Sommerville, LDR

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency: funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.