Falkirk residents urged to not burn rubbish

As the coronavirus lockdown continues to affect vital services including bin collections, some people on social media have said they intend to burn the rubbish that hasn’t been collected.

But others are pointing out that burning rubbish can have serious consequences – in particular for vulnerable people who are self-isolating and unable to leave their homes for fresh air and rely on being able to open a window.

Councillor Paul Garner, spokesperson for Environment said: “During these very challenging times I would urge residents across the Falkirk Council area to think of others before lighting fires in their gardens to dispose of rubbish.

“It is important to be especially considerate at this time, when people are confined to their home.

“Certain materials can emit toxic gases when burned, and bonfires can also become out of control or cause accidents, creating extra pressure on the already busy emergency services.”

He pledged that bin collections would return to normal as soon as possible, but said this would not happen before it was safe for council staff.He said: “We are working hard to re-introduce the collections of the blue and burgundy bins as soon as possible.

However, the safety of essential workers is of paramount importance and we cannot compromise safety.”

“In order to follow government guidance on keeping a safe distance among employees, we have had to make significant changes to the way we deliver this service.

“This means that the normal collection beats take substantially longer to complete as vehicle cabins cannot currently be shared as they were previously and separate transport arrangements made for some employees.

“Consequently, we have required to reduce the service to the current level.

“We apologise for the current disruption and wholeheartedly thank communities for their support during these very difficult times.”

Waste collection arrangements