Councils and waste managers are awaiting a click of the fingers from Nicola Sturgeon to allow them to open dumps.
Refuse centres have made it clear they cannot act until travel to dumps is made “essential” in Scotland, as it is in the rest of the UK.
At the daily briefing yesterday, the Daily Record asked: “For the sake of public health and to ease the burden on our police officers will you sanction the re-opening of recycling centres, taking into account social distancing guidelines?”
The question arose from our revelations that trash is mounting in many areas, with fly-tippers wrecking country lanes and beauty spots.
A vexed First Minister confirmed there would be no emergency re-opening, saying: “We will do that if and when we consider it safe to do so.”
MSP Miles Briggs MSP, who has called for the re-opening of tips, said the FM is moving too slowly.
He said: “Nicola Sturgeon has suggested Ministers are working across Government but the response to the growing fly tipping and public health concerns over waste has not demonstrated that.
“It’s time for Nicola Sturgeon to take action and for the Scottish Government to start the work with councils and partners to reopen waste facilities and start the work to clean up Scotland.”
A spokesperson for Viridor, which manages many tips on behalf of Scottish local authorities, made it clear that they can do nothing without the Scottish Government’s approval.
The spokesperson said: “Once the government’s restrictions allow us to safely reopen these sites we will seek to do so. We will work with our local authority partners to keep local residents informed of any new developments with regard to the reopening of their recycling centres.
“Viridor closed the household waste recycling sites it operates for its local authority clients in response to the Government’s Covid-19 requirements.
“These not only required social distancing to be observed, but also prohibited all non-essential trips away from home. A visit to the recycling sites would be considered a non-essential trip.”
Scotland’s biggest local authority, Glasgow City Council said talks with COSLA were moving towards a resolution where all authorities open at the same time to avoid creating “magnets” for desperate householders from other areas.
A spokesperson said: “We are working with other local authorities on a plan that’d see household waste centres reopen, but nothing is confirmed as yet.
“The selfishness of people who have fly-tipped their waste in the midst of a national crisis is staggering.
“Fly-tipping is blatant anti-social behaviour and where ever we find evidence of who is responsible we will take enforcement action. Our services have been impacted by the corona crisis, but we have sought to clear fly-tipping where ever possible.”
The spokesman said most residents have played a positive part in dealing with waste, adding: “We’ve kept running a general waste and recycling service and hopefully that has had a positive impact.
“We are cautious about numbers at this stage, but the early indication is that there has been a reduction in fly-tipping across the city. A clearer picture won’t emerge until restrictions are lifted and we can tell for certain how much waste has actually been generated during lockdown.”
Edinburgh City Council also suggested that reports of fly tipping in the city were down on last year - indicating the possibility that residents are taking their rubbish to be dumped in the countryside.
A COSLA spokesperson said the Scottish Government’s refusal to classify travel to dumps means centres must remain closed.
The spokesman said: “They are likely to remain so until the travel advice changes.”
The spokesperson added: “Local authorities are actively preparing re-opening strategies and are taking practical steps to consider under what circumstances centres could reopen, once the national travel advice is changed.
“This work includes considering how physical distancing at centres can be maintained in order to help protect staff and members of the public.
“Local Authorities, COSLA and Scottish Government are jointly working on these issues.”
