Scotland’s leading recycling company, Viridor, will collect an extra 500 tonnes of glass during Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, which starts this week, when the population of Scotland’s capital doubles from 500,000 to one million.

Generally, however, recycling during the festival drops by 30 tonnes with a corresponding 90-tonne increase in general waste which is why Viridor is keen to remind people that the best way to increase recycling is to put the Right Stuff in the Right Bin.

Barry Neill, Viridor’s Collection Manager at Bonnyrigg, said that, as the company’s main waste transfer station servicing Edinburgh, the team saw a considerable increase in waste during the Fringe Festival with the increase in pedestrian areas presenting some challenges to waste collections.

Barry said: “With an additional 500,000 people flocking to Edinburgh to enjoy the festival there is a very significant spike in the need of our customers which includes the tourism and hospitality sectors.

“Our number one product for collection is glass and glass can be recycled indefinitely which is why we call it a real recycling superhero. The key to making the most of our recycling is for everyone to put the Right Stuff in the Right Bin. If we all do that, we can send the glass to our Newhouse glass recycling facility in Motherwell and ensure that it goes back into glass manufacturing in Scotland.”

Viridor currently collects all Edinburgh’s glass from public glass bins and bottle banks with the additional 500 tonnes of glass collected during the festival also reflecting an increase in material from pubs, clubs and local authorities.