Open Bins Spark Pest and Public Health Concerns
Open rubbish bins are turning housing areas into feeding and breeding grounds for rats, insects and stray cats, a public health pest expert has warned.
Khalid Al Borshaid, a public health pest control expert said bins left open for long spells pose a clear health risk, as waste draws vermin and allows germs to spread.
Cats often tear into rubbish bags and drag waste into the street, he said, leaving foul smells, scattered litter and a higher risk of disease.
Al Borshaid said poor disposal habits worsen the situation. Bags left open, waste dumped beside bins and rubbish thrown at the wrong time can lead to heaps of refuse around homes.
The result, he said, is an ugly and unhealthy sight that has no place in built-up areas.
He called on residents to put waste inside bins, close lids and use the right disposal times.
Fixed days could also be named for certain kinds of waste, as happens in other countries, to stop bins overflowing and rubbish piling up nearby.
“Public awareness is the first step in any plan to stop waste being thrown outside bins,” Al Borshaid said.
He said clean streets were a shared duty for public bodies and residents, while the proper use of bins would help cut pest numbers and keep neighbourhoods in good order.
Al Borshaid also called for a review of where bins were placed.
Their sites should be chosen after health and environmental checks, he said, and kept away from schools, places used by children, restaurants, markets and food shops.
Bins should also not stand directly beside homes because of the smell, insects, rodents and nuisance they can cause.
He called for well-built waste points that hide rubbish from view and stop it becoming a daily source of distress for residents and visitors.
Some areas could also be fitted with covered or sealed waste systems to curb smells, keep pests out and improve living conditions.
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