Pictures of rubbish and recycling in Dundee

A staff member emptying bags of waste paper on to a conveyor belt at Dundee Salvage Depot in 1948. Image: DC Thomson.

The theme for this week’s pictorial trip down memory lane is rubbish and recycling in Dundee.

The DC Thomson archives team has looked out a varied and interesting selection of photographs – a clean sweep, you might say – from the 1940s through to the 1990s.

Grab yourself a cuppa and enjoy having another browse back through the ages courtesy of The Dundonian, which appears in the Evening Telegraph every Wednesday.

Some of these photographs have not been seen for years.

Do they awaken any memories for you?

1948

Three individuals carrying large bales of paper on their backs. Image: DC Thomson.

Salvage depot workers carrying large bales of paper in a warehouse.

Our first image, from April 1948, highlights what was back-breaking work, although these guys were clearly not first-timers and were making it look easy.

1969

Rubbish awaiting collection on the pavement in Allan Street. Image: DC Thomson.

There was a dustmen’s strike in May 1969, which started in protest following the appointment of a general foreman from outside the cleansing department.

The dispute came at an inopportune time, as there was already a build-up of debris on the streets and The Queen was due to visit the city.

1970

Piles of rubbish at the Fairmuir Station dump in 1970.

The dump was apparently situated beside the Fairmuir Goods Depot, which opened in 1885 and closed in 1967.

1977

Paper bales in Dundee. Image: DC Thomson.

This looks like great fun!

A forklift driver adding to the bales of waste paper at the council’s Harefield Road depot, ready for reprocessing in July 1977.

1983

A woman holds Keep Scotland Tidy campaign poster. Image: DC Thomson. — A Keep Scotland Tidy campaign poster. Image: DC Thomson.

People of a certain generation will remember these posters!

The woman is pictured holding a campaign poster for Keep Scotland Tidy in April 1983, alongside litter and debris blighting a city beauty spot.

1987

Three men beside a bin in a Keep Dundee Tidy campaign launch. Image: DC Thomson. — Keep Dundee Tidy campaign launch. Image: DC Thomson.

The August 1987 launch of the Keep Dundee Tidy Campaign.

It urged people to “Discover a Cleaner Dundee” and pictured were Doug Soutar of the campaign, cleaning worker Jim McNichol and Councillor Frank Boag.

1988

Pictured with the children are project supervisor Ron Brown and bin lorry driver John Hutchison. Image: DC Thomson. — Pictured with the children are project supervisor Ron Brown and John Hutchison. Image: DC Thomson.

Lochee Primary School pupils getting a close-up look at a bin lorry as part of the Keep Dundee Tidy Campaign and the school’s own litter project in December 1988.

They spoke to project supervisor Ron Brown and bin lorry driver John Hutchison.

1990

Rhys Campbell looking into a bin. Image: DC Thomson. — Rhys Campbell looking into a talking bin. Image: DC Thomson.

Rhys Campbell with Scotland’s first-ever talking litter bin at Dundee’s Murraygate.

These trash-talking bins arrived in Dundee in October 1990 and included voice recordings which encouraged people to keep the streets free of litter.

1990

A girl puts liiter in a bin at McColl's Reform Street. Image: DC Thomson. — Bin at McColl’s Reform Street. Image: DC Thomson.

Where was Ted Rogers?

A young girl is spotted doing her bit to keep Dundee tidy by placing litter in a Dusty Bin lookalike outside McColl’s on Reform Street in August 1990.

1990

A new street sweeper machine for Dundee. Image: DC Thomson.

The 1990 launch of a new, lead-free, petrol street sweeper machine.

Litter was placed strategically for the photocall in the City Square where journalists were briefed on the machine’s “special feature to deal with dog mess”.