Hillingdon Council scraps all 700 dog waste bins to save money

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 06:16 · Archive

Hillingdon Council is removing all 700 dedicated dog waste bins to save £100,000 to £160,000 annually, telling dog owners to use ordinary litter bins instead.

Hillingdon Council, a Conservative-run west London borough, has decided to remove all 700 dedicated dog waste bins. The council says the move will save between £100,000 and £160,000 a year in waste collection costs, with £60,000 of those savings going towards extra street cleaning. The council argues there is no longer a need for a separate dog waste collection service, as the 14.5 tonnes of dog poo collected monthly can be handled by existing general waste bins.

Dog owners will be directed to use ordinary litter bins instead, or take waste home. Litter bins in parks and popular dog-walking spots will receive stickers reading 'I can take dog waste too'. The dedicated bins will be removed in phases. Hillingdon produces about 174 tonnes of dog faeces each year.

The plan has prompted concern from residents. The Ruislip Residents' Association has warned that some dog bins already overflow under the current collection service and criticised the council for not publishing information about where owners can dispose of waste. Daniel O'Neill, chief road steward at the association, said people are worried dog poo will be 'dumped everywhere'. Sital Punja, an opposition Labour councillor and dog owner, described the removals as 'preposterous' and noted that general bins lack the lids of dog bins, allowing smells to escape and foxes access.

A council report acknowledged the risk of increased dog fouling but said it could be managed through signs, information campaigns and enforcement. The decision was approved without formal public consultation. The council considered keeping the bins or removing only those near ordinary litter bins but rejected both options because a separate collection service would still be needed.

How it is being reported

• Hitting the fan: London council angers residents with removal of 700 dog-waste binsConservative-run Hillingdon aims to save £100,000 but local people fear dog poo will ‘be dumped everywhere’ People in a west London borough fear it will become covered in dog poo after their cash-strapped council decided to remove 700 dog-waste bins to save money. “People are worried there’s going to be dog shit everywhere,” said Daniel O’Neill, the chief road steward at Ruislip Residents’ Association. Continue reading...The Guardian · 30 Oct, 06:00
• All 700 dog poo bins to be scrapped in London boroughDog owners are being told to put their pets’ poo in ordinary litter bins (Picture: Shutterstock/Susan Mackenzie) A west London borough has announced plans to scrap all 700 dedicated dog waste bins. Hillingdon Council has told dog owners to put their pets’ poo in ordinary litter bins or take it…Metro · 29 Oct, 13:33

In this story: Hillingdon Council · Ruislip Residents' Association · Daniel O'Neill · Sital Punja · Hillingdon

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