The leader of Glasgow City Council has claimed Edinburgh has ‘much worse problems’ with litter after refuse workers announced their intention to strike during the COP 26 climate summit.
Susan Aitken said data proved the Capital had experienced significantly more challenging issues with waste during the coronavirus lockdown following criticism over the look of Glasgow before world leaders arrive next month.
The GMB union said bin workers would host a week of industrial action from November 1 over a pay dispute, coinciding with the first full day of the international meeting on climate change.
Ms Aitken also pointed out the Capital was still able to host the International Festival in the summer despite a report from Keep Scotland Beautiful determining the event caused severe problems with litter.
Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland, she said: “According to Keep Scotland Beautiful, Edinburgh actually had much worse problems with litter throughout the pandemic and nobody said that they shouldn’t have the Edinburgh International Festival.
"We’re very clear that the pandemic has had a very significant impact on our cleansing services.
“The recovery from that is coinciding with Cop26, but the recovery from that actually is moving at pace.”
The SNP administration leader revealed fly tipping ‘hotspots’ would form the basis of a plan to “spruce up” the city before the conference gets underway.
She also called for a “change in behaviour” from residents to help curb mounting pressures on waste services.
Ms Aitken added: "A lot of this is about behaviour of course, and the council has to respond to that behaviour.
“But we also need for people to try and change their behaviour, you know, it’s not the council that’s fly-tipping. Environmental crime is what we’re having to respond to.”
"There are still some spots, hotspots, where we have particular challenges that are largely down to issues like fly-tipping."
