Problems have arisen in Dutch capital since introduction of a deposit scheme for small bottles and cans
City leaders in Amsterdam are taking a novel approach to keeping its streets clean – by taking away litter bins to combat rubbish in part blamed on people rifling through them to obtain refund deposits on some discarded items.
There has been a surge in complaints about litter in the Dutch capital since the introduction of a deposit scheme for small bottles and cans. Last year, a quarter of residents described their neighbourhood as dirty or very dirty, rising to two in five in the city centre.
Hester van Buren, city finance chief and responsible for waste collection, said “however illogical it sounds”, trials in busy shopping streets and parks have suggested that taking away some of the city’s 12,000 litter bins is the answer.
“The broken windows theory is that rubbish attracts more rubbish,” she said. “People throw bottles with deposits on them into bins […] The bins are pulled open three times a day and, of course, the litter blowing around attracts vermin.”
