Case Study: Full Steam Ahead for Cleaner Public Spaces

Sector:

Local Councils

Products:

Litter Bins, Winter Safety Equipment

Client:

City of Wolsztyn

Case Study Location:

Poland

Completion Date:

November 2025

About the Project

Wolsztyn is an intimate, picturesque district town in the West of Greater Poland, approximately 70 km from Poznań on the Dojca River. Home to around 13,000 residents, the town's character is shaped by its scenic location on Lake Wolsztyn. Together with its extensive parks and green spaces, it serves as a major recreational hub for both locals and tourists.

Beyond its natural scenery, Wolsztyn boasts a rich history. At its heart sits a medieval market square rooted in centuries of trade and cloth making. Most famously, it is home to the renowned Wolsztyn Locomotive Depot. As one of the only places in Europe where regularly scheduled steam locomotives still operate, it stands as a unique heritage site and one of the most famous town symbols.

To maintain the high-quality aesthetics and cleanliness of its public spaces, the municipality completed a new infrastructure upgrade in November 2025, enlisting Glasdon to supply waste management and winter safety solutions. This project builds upon a long-standing history of cooperation between Wolsztyn and Glasdon, which first began in 2018 with the town's initial purchase of Topsy Royale and Glasdon Jubilee litter bins.

The Challenges

Wolsztyn consistently invests in solutions that improve the comfort of residents and visitors. However, managing public spaces across a town that balances historical heritage, tourist traffic, and natural environments presented a variety of challenges:

• Preservation of Historical and Natural Environments: The town needed street furniture with a design that could seamlessly weave into the centuries-old historical fabric of the medieval town centre and the natural, scenic lakeside recreational areas.
• Management of Waste Accumulation in High-Traffic Areas: Popular tourist attractions like the locomotive depot and parks experience heavy footfall. The town required high-capacity waste solutions to prevent overflowing, reduce the frequency of emptying, and facilitate the work of municipal services.
• Protection against Wear and Weather: The solutions needed to be highly durable, capable of resisting harsh weather conditions, as well as potential vandalism and corrosion to ensure long-term aesthetics with minimal maintenance costs.
• Winter Public Safety: Alongside waste management, the town sought a reliable, practical winter safety solution to help keep the historic streets and busy pedestrian zones safe and accessible during the colder months.

The Solutions

The municipality chose several Glasdon products to address the town's varied needs.

For the general town and high-traffic tourist areas, the town selected the Topsy Royale™ and Glasdon Jubilee™ 110 litter bins. Offering great capacities ranging from 90 to 110 litres, these bins directly addressed the town's waste accumulation challenges. The 63 litre Mini Plaza® bin was also chosen to provide a premium waste management solution that complements the refined aesthetics of Wolsztyn’s public spaces.

The Topsy Royale, Jubilee, and Mini Plaza bins feature aesthetically pleasing designs that were easily integrated into the historic market square and parks. Featuring ergonomic emptying mechanisms and integrated locking systems for added security, they are easier to use for both pedestrians and municipal staff.

The bins are manufactured from Durapol® and Enviropol® . Thanks to these advanced, high-quality polymers, the bins do not corrode, require little to no maintenance, and retain their shape and appearance even after years of heavy use and changing seasons.

To help improve winter safety, the town chose the Turbocast™ 400 manual salt spreader. This unit allows municipal workers to quickly and evenly spread grit across streets and walkways, preventing ice buildup and ensuring pedestrian safety.

The Result

By implementing these high-performance bins and winter safety solution, the town successfully enhanced the cleanliness, hygiene and visual appeal of its public spaces.

The maintenance-free, sturdy Durapol and Enviropol materials ensure that the new solutions will deliver a high return on investment, retaining their aesthetics for years to come without straining municipal budgets. The increased capacity and ergonomic design of the Topsy Royale and Glasdon Jubilee 110 litter bins successfully improved the efficiency of local waste collection, keeping high-traffic areas pristine. Wolzstyn City Hall also welcomed the hooded design which will help prevent birds from getting into the bins and dragging out waste.

This investment demonstrates how well-informed infrastructure choices do not have to come at the cost of sacrificing natural beauty and aesthetics. Thanks to the Glasdon solutions, Wolsztyn was able to easily maintain its natural and historical beauty whilst simultaneously nurturing a clean and welcoming urban environment.