THE citizens of Edinburgh probably don’t realise it but there are more trees in the capital than there are people.
The trees add much to the city’s attractions but at this time of year Edinburgh’s trees are once again beginning to shed their leaves.
Edinburgh City Council’s street cleansing team is taking action to keep the streets leaf-free so that they’re as safe and accessible as possible during the autumn months but now the council is calling on the public to do their bit to help.
Every autumn, tonnes of “organic” waste is swept and collected from Edinburgh’s streets and sent to be recycled into compost.
Six mechanical sweepers supplement hand-sweeping by street cleansing operatives, targeting vulnerable locations as a priority, including cycle routes and areas around sheltered housing. The team also responds as quickly as possible to deal with leaf-strewn pavements reported by the public.
Around half of Edinburgh’s trees – approximately 325,000 – grow in private gardens and on private land, with many of these overhanging, and shedding a high proportion of their leaves on to, public pavements.
Yesterday Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes called on residents to help the Council keep pavements leaf-free by doing their bit to clear up leaves originating from trees in their own gardens.
Local residents’ body the Grange Association already organises annual leaf clean-ups in their community thanks to assistance from the Council’s street cleansing team. This year, the association has requested 400 “rubble” bags alongside brushes and shovels. The full bags will be collected for recycling by a street cleansing vehicle and the rubble bags re-used. Approaches from other community groups keen to undertake similar leaf-clearing exercises locally are actively encouraged.
Sue Tritton, a member of the Grange Association, said: “We have a large group of volunteers who helped, in the autumn of 2018, to clear leaves from the street. This effort was much appreciated by local residents and more volunteers joined this year. Some of us work in groups to clear particular streets; others work near their homes. It’s nice to be out in the fresh air helping to keep the area clean and safe.”
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