Beach and street cleaning
South Ayrshire Council is responsible for collection of litter from litter bins
and sweeping of litter from public roads and Council owned land throughout the area.
Litter and dog waste bins are also provided and emptied on a regular basis by the
Council, to ensure that we maintain a high level of cleanliness throughout South
Ayrshire.
Report litter/fly-tipping problems
You can report a problem below or you can call us on 0300 123 0900.
Report street cleaning problems Report fly-tipping
Street Cleaning
Streets are cleaned as required depending on the amount of litter that is evident. Town centre streets and those streets near schools require more frequent cleaning.
The council’s waste management section spray weeds twice a year as required.
Beach Cleaning
The Council is responsible for cleaning amenity and recreational beaches under their
ownership above the mean high water mark. Managed beaches require to be cleaned
of litter in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act 1990 Code of Practice
on Litter and Refuse. This code specifies that managed beaches should be cleaned
to Grade B standard (some small pieces of litter evident) throughout the year and
there are varying response times for returning the beach to Grade B standard depending
on whether the beach is an amenity or recreational beach. The definition of litter
does not apply to seaweed, and the presence of seaweed is beneficial to beach ecology.
Mechanical cleaning of beaches should not be carried out near sand dunes or other
sensitive beach areas. There are a number of private beaches in South Ayrshire for
which the Council is not responsible for cleaning.
When are the beaches cleaned?
South Ayrshire Council is responsible for cleaning its own Amenity beaches during the months May to September. Some additional cleaning may be carried out during the winter months as required. A number of beaches are privately owned although there is no responsibility on the owners to clean their beaches unless they are managed as amenity beaches. For further information call 0300 123 0900.
When are the bins emptied?
The litter bins on the beaches are emptied as
required throughout the year. We have additional squads working on our beaches and parks during the
summer months to cope with any increases in tourists due to good weather.
I am organising a voluntary beach cleanup. Can I get help with protective gloves, litter pickers and removal of the rubbish collected?
Yes. Contact the Waste Awareness Team on 0300 123 0900.