Cardiff city council has teamed up with local volunteer organisations to tackle the growing litter problem in the city.
Litter is a problem that refuses to go away in Roath
The council launched the Love Where You Live campaign in September, where council cleaners and local volunteers work together to blitz their area of litter.
These blitzes involve teams cleaning the inner wards of the city on a weekly rotational basis, on top of normal council cleansing routines. Fines are imposed on those who do not follow rubbish disposal policies. So far, 19.5 tonnes have been cleared away in these neighbourhood clean-ups.
The council wants the public to recognise the hard work of the volunteers, by erecting local billboards praising their efforts. Councillor Bob Derbyshire, Cabinet Member for the Environment, said, “The campaign is building up a real head of steam.” He encourages people to join in the campaign and organise litter-picks in their own areas.
The council is also working with Keep Roath Tidy, a volunteer organisation in Roath. It has successfully lobbied the council for an extra daily litter-pick and bin collection. These changes have “massively improved” the situation, says Elizabeth Lodge, head of the Keep Roath Tidy organisation. This collaboration has been so successful that the council nominated the organisation for the Best Partnership Lanarc award.
Volunteers with Keep Roath Tidy community litter-picking group
These efforts will be a waste, though, if people are not properly educated. Arwen Thomas, of Green Days, an environmental project that helps people with learning difficulties, stated that education is about getting people to be aware of what they do with their rubbish. She emphasised the futility of littering, saying that people are “throwing away” their own money when they litter, as their council tax goes towards paying to clean it up.
What does the public think the council can do to solve the litter problem?
