Hillingdon Council to remove 700 dog-waste bins to save money

Hillingdon Council has decided to remove 700 dog-waste bins across the west London borough, a step it expects will save £100,000 in waste collection costs, The Guardian reported on 30 October 2026.

The council hopes dog owners will put their waste in general litter bins instead. The borough is a area of west London, and Hillingdon Council is run by the Conservative Party. Sital Punja, an opposition Labour councillor on the authority, is among those named in the reporting.

The move comes as the council faces mounting financial pressure. Hillingdon's debts are rising by £5.6 million a year, and its schools grant deficit alone stands at £101.5 million, according to The Guardian. A deficit here means spending that exceeds the money available.

The scale of the problem the bins address is also set out. Pet dogs in Hillingdon produce about 174 tonnes of faeces each year.

A council review recorded 262 dog bins on highways and 297 in parks and green spaces. It also recorded around 1,000 litter bins in outlying areas.

Residents in Ruislip have expressed concern that removing the dog-waste bins will leave dog faeces everywhere.