Research to reveal the UK’s worst cities for “problem rubbish” has shown 30 percent of Londoners said they had been adversely affected by overflowing bins.A new league table showing the impact of overflowing bins in the UK’s major metropolitan areas has revealed that Londoners are hardest hit by the effects of problem waste. The rankings, produced by on-demand rubbish removers Clearabee and research consultancy Opinium, indicate that almost a third (30 percent) of London’s 7m residents have been adversely affected by excess household rubbish, far more than other UK cities.
Urban foxes were identified as the biggest problem for Londoners, with 14 percent saying they had encountered waste scattered by them. Other common complaints associated with overflowing bins in London included foul smells and rats, issues affecting 12 percent and six percent respectively.
Outside of London, people in Leeds, Birmingham and Newcastle also reported problems associated with rubbish at rates that exceeded the national average. Residents of Sheffield and Nottingham lodged the fewest complaints in the cities covered by Clearabee’s study.
Nationwide, one in five people have experienced problems with overflowing bins. Six percent of households have had issues with foxes scattering waste and four percent say excess rubbish has attracted rats. Problems with waste were more frequent amongst younger adults. Across the UK, 29 percent of people aged 18-34 had experienced issues, compared to 22 percent of those aged 35- 54 and just 10 percent of over 55s.