Tuesday May 19th 2026
West Lothian Council headquarters
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
A Linlithgow councillor has revived proposals for West Lothian householders to use bin straps to secure wheelie bin lids.
In a written question to fellow Linlithgow Councillor Tom Conn, the SNP’s Pauline Orr questioned why West Lothian had not followed Perth and Kinross Council in introducing the measure.
She asked West Lothian’s interpretation of health and safety rules was so at odds with the Perthshire council- and that of Orkney which has also introduced the straps for bins.
“Can this council please explain why their interpretation of the various legislation is so far apart from Perth & Kinross Council and even Orkney Council which has extreme winds.”
Responding in a written answer Councillor Conn, the Executive Councillor for Environment and Sustainability who said the extra time needed by staff to unclip bins on the more than 200 collection routes would would require a full county wide review of the service.
Councilor Conn said: “Every council will consider its own approach to mitigating risks. As acknowledged at the Environment and Sustainability PDSP in September 2025, WLC has concerns around both the safe use of clips around the lifting mechanisms of refuse collection vehicles and the cost implications if a high volume of bin straps were deployed across West Lothian.”
Councillor Orr first suggested using the bin straps last summer, citing the amount of wind blown rubbish across the county. The plan had the support of volunteer litter pickers who collect hundreds of bags of rubbish a month.
However a meeting of the Environment and Sustainability PDSP heard last September that, quite apart from the costs, the additional time spent by staff would add significantly to journey times for the 243 collection routes taken each week by bin lorries.
Additionally waste management officers in the council are reluctant to introducing the straps because of health and safety implications after one bin man was pulled into a refuse wagon after being caught up in the straps during pilot project.
Councillor Conn said that a report last year to the PDSP highlighted that having carried out a feasibility study, only two Scottish Councils permitted the use of bin straps.
“A number of councils who responded to the council’s survey highlighted concerns with the use of bin straps / clips. In the most serious case a waste collection operative in one council was injured after being caught and dropped by a bin lorry’s lifting mechanism, after becoming tangled in a cord attached to a household wheelie bin.”
He added: “I remain of the view that it is the advice of our professional officers that must be taken into account not decisions made by other local authorities on their local circumstances and which may differ from work practices and volumes in West Lothian to ensure the health and safety of our staff.”
Councillor Orr asked follow up questions on cost comparisons for clear up of window blown rubbish and the provisions of the straps.
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