Rubbish Roundup 21st May

Rubbish Roundup 21^st May

Folkestone beach and town centre was strewn with litter on Bank Holiday Monday and it’s prompted calls for more effective anti-litter measures. There were soiled nappies, broken glass, beer bottles and charred barbecues among 47 bags of rubbish cleared by council staff and waste contractors, who say the problem is only going to get worse. The warm weather drew flocks of people to the seaside and the provided bins got full very quickly. There have been calls for more bins to be installed and people have been encouraged to take their waste home with them. Much of the rubbish could have been washed out to sea where it could harm the environment and wildlife.

The council said that extra staff had been brought in to clear the refuse, but bins were filling up faster than refuse teams could empty them. They added that a fixed penalty notice would be given to anyone who was caught dropping litter.

The A303 in Somerset was recently cleared of litter in an operation that saw 10 bags of rubbish being collected for every mile of road. Figures published by South Somerset District Council revealed that 100 bags of rubbish have been collected from the district’s roads in the past 3 months. The council said that the overall picture is improving because there have been less fly-tipping incidents, but more needs to be done in terms of keeping roadsides clear of litter. 40% of the roadside waste is plastics, 30% is paper, 10% is cans, 15% is general debris, and 5% is car parts. The clean-up operation covered a 60 mile stretch of road.

The council have provided extra bins as requested and have been sweeping the roads at night to keep them clear. They plan to enlist volunteers to help them with their next big task; clearing the district’s B roads.

A display has been erected at a busy resort in Cornwall, and it’s made entirely of beach litter. It’s called the ‘wave of plastic’ and it’s erected on a seaside wall. The items were collected by a beachcomber, and among the waste there’s even some fishing gear from America! The display was constructed to highlight the problem of ocean plastics, and the project is supported by the Surfers Against Sewage campaign.