Equipment, Waste & Recycling
The Big Forth Cleanup brings together communities from around the Firth of Forth, and waste collection arrangements vary depending on where your clean-up is taking place.
Below you’ll find information for Fife, East Lothian, Falkirk and Edinburgh, including how to register your clean-up, borrow equipment and arrange collection of the rubbish you collect.
Please check the information for your area before your clean. Where possible, we will also share the details of registered Big Forth Cleanup events with the relevant local authority to help coordinate equipment and waste collection.
Looking for Litter-Picking Equipment?
Before requesting one of our limited Big Forth Cleanup kits, check whether you can borrow equipment locally.
Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Clean Up Scotland Map shows community clean-up hubs across Scotland. These hubs have litter-picking equipment that local people can borrow, and some also run regular community litter picks.
Find your nearest Keep Scotland Beautiful Clean Up Hub
If you can’t find a hub near you, check with your local authority, as many councils also provide litter-picking equipment and can help arrange collection of the rubbish you collect. You can find more details below.
Still can’t find equipment?
Balanced Horizon will have a small number of beach cleaning kits available to loan for the Big Forth Cleanup. Each kit contains 20 litter pickers and 20 pairs of gloves and will be available for collection from Edinburgh.
We want to maximise the use of these kits, so if you have checked with your local authority and the Keep Scotland Beautiful map but still can’t access litter pickers, please get in touch.
Big Forth Cleanup
bfc@balancedhorizon.org
Organising a beach clean?
If you are a community group, organisation, school, business, or volunteer group planning a beach clean and would like your event featured on the map, please contact bella@balancedhorizon.org with details (location & group name) of your event.
East Lothian
East Lothian Ranger Service
The East Lothian Council Ranger Service works with local communities to care for the county’s coast and countryside and supports volunteers taking part in beach cleans.
In East Lothian, beach cleaning kits are available to borrow at Gullane, Yellowcraig, Longniddry Bents and Fisherrow. The kits contain equipment to help you run your own beach clean.
Want to borrow a kit?
The kits are kept in locked storage, so you’ll need to contact the Ranger Service for the padlock code and access arrangements.
Contact the East Lothian Ranger Service
Countryside Ranger Service
📞 01620 827279
✉️ ranger@eastlothian.gov.uk
Litter bags and disposal
East Lothian Council provides litter-picking bags and equipment to support community clean-ups. In some areas, pink litter-picking bags are available for volunteers.
If you are taking part in the Big Forth Cleanup, we can provide the Ranger Service and East Lothian Council Amenities with a list of registered East Lothian beach cleans, including dates, times and locations. This will help coordinate equipment and arrangements for dealing with the litter collected.
If you would like to use one of the beach cleaning kits, or need advice about bags or disposal, please contact the Ranger Service before your clean.
East Lothian Council – Litter and Street Cleaning
Falkirk
Falkirk Council
Planning a Big Forth Cleanup in the Falkirk area? Falkirk Council can support community clean-ups by providing litter-picking equipment, advice on risk assessments and arranging for collected litter to be uplifted.
Register your clean-up directly with Falkirk Council and they will contact you to confirm the arrangements. They recommend registering at least two weeks before your clean-up to allow time to prepare equipment and organise collection of the litter.
Falkirk Council – Organising a Local Clean-up
Equipment
Falkirk Council can provide:
- Litter pickers in infant, children’s and adult sizes
- Hi-visibility vests
- Black bags for non-recyclable waste
- Clear bags for recyclable cans, tins and plastic bottles
- Bag hoops
Equipment collection:
Dalgrain Depot, McCafferty Way Industrial Estate, Grangemouth, FK3 8EB
Monday–Friday, 08:00–15:30
Once your clean-up has been registered and confirmed, Falkirk Council will provide you with an allocated collection time and instructions for collecting your equipment.
Waste collection
Falkirk Council will arrange to uplift the litter collected from your registered clean-up and will let you know where to leave the bags for collection.
Please keep black and clear bags separate and do not overfill the bags. Falkirk Council asks that bags are kept to a manageable weight for collection crews.
Please note that glass should not be collected during your litter pick. Use local glass recycling facilities instead.
Hazardous items such as needles, asbestos or other dangerous materials should not be handled by volunteers and should be reported to the Council.
Risk assessment
A risk assessment should be completed before your clean-up. Falkirk Council provides guidance and a generic risk assessment to help groups plan their event safely.
For questions about equipment, waste collection or your clean-up:
Falkirk Council Waste Services
wasteservices@falkirk.gov.uk
View Falkirk Council’s full clean-up guidance
Edinburgh
City of Edinburgh Council
Planning a Big Forth Cleanup in Edinburgh? The City of Edinburgh Council supports community clean-ups by providing equipment and arranging collection of the litter collected.
You can request a litter-pick kit, which includes litter pickers for adults and children. The Council can also provide brushes, shovels and scrapers where needed.
Equipment and waste collection
The Council can provide:
- Litter pickers for adults and children
- Bags
- Brushes and other equipment where appropriate
They can also collect the litter you have collected from an agreed location that is accessible to a large vehicle.
Request a litter-pick kit and arrange waste collection – City of Edinburgh Council
Taking part in the Big Forth Cleanup
If you are registering a clean-up with the Big Forth Cleanup, please include your date, time and location. We can keep a list of registered Edinburgh cleans and help coordinate with the Council where appropriate.
If you are organising a larger clean-up, please make sure there is a suitable, accessible location agreed for the collected bags to be uplifted.
Big Forth Cleanup:
bfc@balancedhorizon.org
Reporting litter or fly-tipping
If you come across litter or fly-tipping that is not part of your clean-up, you can report it directly to Edinburgh Council.
Report litter, fly-tipping or an overflowing bin – City of Edinburgh Council
Please don’t leave bags beside a public bin unless this has been agreed with the Council. Rubbish left beside bins can be treated as fly-tipping, so please use the agreed collection point for your registered clean-up.
Waste & Recycling – Please Read Before Your Clean
We want as much of the rubbish collected during the Big Forth Cleanup as possible to be recycled, while making sure everything collected is disposed of safely and correctly.
Separate recyclable materials where you can
If you are able to, please separate recyclable materials as you clean. In particular, keep glass bottles and jars, drinks cans and plastic bottles separate from general litter.
Where practical, taking separated recyclable waste to the appropriate recycling facility can help keep valuable materials out of general waste. Please check your local authority’s recycling information first, as what can be accepted varies between areas.
Please don’t leave bags beside bins without checking first
A really important point for all Big Forth Cleanup volunteers:
Please don’t simply fill bags and leave them beside the nearest public bin.
Bags left beside public bins can be considered fly-tipping if the local authority has not been informed or agreed to collect them.
Instead, make sure you know the arrangements for your clean before you start. This may mean:
- Registering your clean-up directly with your local authority.
- Providing the local authority with your date, time and location in advance.
- Using a designated collection point agreed with the local authority.
- Following the local authority’s instructions for reporting or arranging uplift of the rubbish after your clean.
Let us help coordinate
When you register your clean with the Big Forth Cleanup, please provide your location, date, start and finish time and, where possible, an estimate of how much rubbish you expect to collect.
Where local authorities have agreed to work with us, we can provide them with a list of registered Big Forth Cleanup events so they know where and when cleans are taking place and can help coordinate waste collection.
However, please also read the information for your local authority above. Each authority has its own procedure for requesting equipment, arranging uplift or reporting collected litter, and you may need to register directly with them as well.
If you’re unsure what to do with the rubbish you’ve collected, please contact us before your clean and we’ll help you work out the appropriate arrangements.
A few simple tips
Separate as you go – keeping glass, cans and plastic bottles separate makes recycling easier.
Don’t collect anything you’re not able to handle safely – leave sharp, hazardous or unidentified items and report their location to the appropriate authority.
Don’t overfill bags – keep them a manageable weight for collection and transport.
Keep bags secure – especially on windy coastal sites, where bags can easily become marine litter themselves.
Take photos of larger or unusual items – particularly fishing gear, ropes, creels or other marine debris, so these can be reported and dealt with appropriately.
Most importantly, know what happens to your rubbish before you start your clean. A successful beach clean isn’t finished when the litter is picked up, it’s finished when the waste has been properly collected, recycled or disposed of.
