What are the park bins like near you?

Image source, Sheila Masson

Image caption, A bin stuffed to overflowing in Tollbooth Wynd Park in Leith
  • Author, Doug Kennedy
  • Role, 大象传媒 Scotland news

As lockdown eases, parks have become hotspots for people getting together as well as hotspots for extra litter.

People have been snapping shots of bins stuffed with rubbish, empty drink cans, dog poo bags and takeaway boxes.

Glasgow's Kelvingrove Park has reportedly seen youngsters flouting restrictions to perform a conga and a number of arrests for public drinking.

The city council said "everyone is welcome in parks, but alcohol is not".

Image source, Andrew Meikle

Image caption, Kelvingrove Park in Glasgow has been the focus of gatherings in the West End

More leeway to meet up with others has coincided with spells of even better weather.

This, and more food outlets opening for takeaway, means stacks of boxes and trays stuffed into bins. One local in Glasgow complained of a "colossal amount of trash" in Kelvingrove.

Image source, Ray Harris

Image caption, Pollok Country Park on Glasgow's south side has seen areas of abandoned rubbish

On the south side, parts of Pollok Country Park were described as a "pig sty", with crowds of people leaving bags of rubbish, empty booze bottles and burnt-out fires.

Glasgow City Council urged park-goers to "please bin rubbish or take it home with you".

Image source, Improv Edinburgh

Image caption, A traffic cone among the rubbish at Figgate Park in Edinburgh

In Edinburgh, residents have been contacting the city council @edinhelp Twitter account, designed for reporting incidents.

One complained of a bin that had been overflowing with "dog poop bags" for a week.

Image source, Edinburgh Outdoors

Image caption, Bottles and bags left strewn about an area of the Pentland Hills.

And Edinburgh Outdoors, which promotes outdoor spaces for the council, urged people to "remember to keep them looking lovely" and to take litter home.

It also noted "really disappointing behaviour" by a small minority in the Pentland Hills over the weekend, stressing the impact on other visitors and for the local wildlife.

Image source, Elyn Uribe

Image caption, Bags cluttering up the pond at Glasgow's Alexandra Park

One Glasgow resident also picked up on the impact on wildlife, reporting rubbish dumped in city ponds by people feeding the birds. Evelyn Uribe said the lake in Alexandra Park was full of litter.

In Aberdeen, the council said it had not noted any real problems as lockdown eased. Highland Council said there had been a small increase in litter, and the authority urged people to enjoy public spaces responsibly.

The lockdown has brought environmental benefits - clearer skies, quieter roads and cleaner air - but as the old normal starts to return keeping green spaces green has been a battle to get people to show a little bit of consideration.