East Dunbartonshire’s recycling bring sites are being removed in April, but residents are reminded that they can still recycle directly from their homes.
There are currently seven recycling bring sites across East Dunbartonshire where residents can recycle household waste including cans, glass, paper and drinks cartons - items which can already be collected by the kerbside recycling service provided to each household.
At its budget meeting in March it was confirmed that the Council is moving forward with plans to decommission these sites both as a way to tackle issues of fly-tipping and littering, and to save money.
The banks at the recycling sites are currently provided and serviced by Biffa and they will be removed week commencing 6 April 2026.
It's estimated that removing the bring sites would save the Council around £43,000 a year, money that can be put towards the provision of other vital services.
It comes after the successful removal of the recycling facilities from sites in Lennoxtown and Bearsden last year at the landowners' request following repeated fly-tipping of large quantities of non-recyclable and commercial waste beside containers which cost the Council a significant amount of time and money to clear and dispose of.
Inappropriate use of the banks has also been increasing with people placing the wrong materials in the banks.
Thomas McMenamin, Executive Officer Roads & Neighbourhood Services, said, “East Dunbartonshire has some of the highest recycling rates in the country and over the years these sites have been well used.
“However, Bring Sites were originally installed about 30 years ago, prior to the introduction of household kerbside recycling collections in East Dunbartonshire in 2005.
Improvements to our kerbside recycling collections over time mean the same recycling materials collected at the bring sites can now be placed into the recycling bins provided to each household making it easier than ever to recycle at home.
“Residents who do find themselves with excess recycling can also request additional recycling bins at no extra charge to help manage your waste and increase the volume of material that is recycled.
“We’ve had to remove several Bring Site banks in recent years and their removal has had minimum impact to the overall recycling figures. We hope that by encouraging people to recycle from home that the amount of household waste sent for recycling will rise.”
Any residents who currently cannot access the Council’s kerbside recycling facilities are encouraged to get in touch.
You can find a comprehensive list of what can go in each of your bins on our website by visiting the bins and recycling webpage.
Residents can request additional recycling bins online or contact Customer Services on 0300 123 4510.
