Amsterdam's answer to its rubbish crisis? Remove some of the litter bins

"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. She said increasing the number of street cleans was a losing battle, adding: We also need to look at changing behaviour."

"After a viral LinkedIn post from the entrepreneur Victor Knaap complaining about rubbish on every corner, 9,099 locals have signed up for a community clean-up day on Friday. Kor van der Bij, project leader at the Rubbiz foundation, said litter-picking demonstrated that people cared about where they live. Of course, the government can do its work better and businesses can use less plastic, he said. But citizens need to roll up their sleeves too."

Amsterdam is removing some street litter bins after a surge in complaints linked to a new deposit scheme for small bottles and cans. Local surveys show a rise in residents calling neighbourhoods dirty, especially in the city centre. Trials in busy shopping streets and parks indicated that fewer bins can reduce rubbish because scavenging rips bins open and loose litter attracts vermin. The city will remove bins near takeaways and where underground containers exist, and is testing swing-shut devices and donation slots. A viral post prompted thousands to join a clean-up, and organisers urge government, businesses and citizens to act.

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