Thursday September 3rd 2026
Recycling bin
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Sarah Hilley
Glasgow residents are being asked about their recycling habits during a consultation as the council as looking at ways to deal with contamination in bins.
Rubbish is often put in the wrong bins in the city – which means Glasgow has one of the lowest household recycling rates in Scotland.
Residents are being asked what would cause them to place the wrong items in bins and what is confusing about recycling among other questions in the survey.
It also also asks people non-mandatory questions about their personal details including ethnicity.
Only about 27 per cent of the city’s household waste is recycled compared to 43 per cent nationally, a council committee heard last year.
The council said in the survey: “Contamination in recycling bins remains a significant challenge, adversely impacting costs, environmental outcomes, recycling performance, and the reputation of Glasgow City Council.
“Contamination occurs when non-recyclable materials are placed in recycling bins, disrupting the recycling process at all stages, from collection through to sorting and final processing.
“The Council is currently undertaking a review of its processes for identifying and managing contamination within household recycling bins. As part of this review, a short resident survey has been developed.”
In a social media post, the council added: “Every week, recycling collections across Glasgow contain items that shouldn’t be in the bin. Even a small number of incorrect items can contaminate an entire collection and make it harder to recycle materials.
“We’re carrying out a short survey to better understand the challenges residents face when using their bins and recycling services.
“Whether you’re confident about recycling or sometimes find it confusing, we’d like to hear from you.”
The council said the feedback will be used to help make recycling easier, reduce contamination and help Glaswegians recycle more.
To take part in the survey visit: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/GlasgowResidentsRecycling/
The deadline is October 13.
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