New recycling bins installed on Southsea Common in a bid to reduce waste

As part of the council's ‘don't be a din - put it in the bin’ campaign to reduce waste on the common, the new can and bottle-specific recycling bins have been laid out, with plans for more in the future.

The bins have been labelled with red for plastic bottles and grey for metal cans.

Portsmouth City Council's deputy leader, Councillor Steve Pitt, said: ‘Many people want the option to recycle litter in public spaces, which we are keen to provide, but it's vital that people use the right bins so we don't contaminate the waste.

‘Placing just one piece of incorrect rubbish in the wrong bin means that the waste cannot be recycled, which unfortunately defeats the object of installing the bins.

‘I'm confident that visitors to Southsea Common will use the bins and the amount of recycling will increase, meaning that the council can consider additional recycling bins across more of the city's open spaces.’

As previously reported shocking figures showed almost five tonnes of litter was picked up from the ground in Portsmouth’s parks and open spaces in May 2020, up from 2.2 tonnes in May 2019 - prompting the ‘don't be a din’ campaign in July.

SEE ALSO: Southsea Common left ‘covered in rubbish’

The amount collected from bins in parks and other open spaces also rose significantly in that time - from 11 tonnes to 24.8 tonnes.

At the end of May, 40 new general waste bins were installed on the promenade and 20 on the common as a result.

It is hoped another 36 recycling bins will be rolled out in Southsea if the scheme proves successful, with potential for them to be used in high streets across the city as well.

Cllr Dave Ashmore, the council's environment cabinet member, said: ‘We love our city and know our residents and visitors do too, and we want to make sure our shared spaces are as tidy as they can be.’

A total of £50,000 was set aside during this year's capital budget to pay for around 72 bins as well as other measures to encourage proper waste disposal and recycling.

The council spends approximately £160,000 on clearing rubbish from public spaces every year.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.