Litter.

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

Just curious whether an increasing litter problem is simply a London issue or are other areas affected? 

So much rubbish is not cleared up in Greenwich and Lewisham - assume this is all down to cost cutting.

My old man goes on morning walks with a bin bag and a litter picker down in East Grinstead and he comes back with a rammed bag pretty much every day. Very sad that people are just so selfish

I think it's a constant feature these days sadly. Like feet on seats on trains. But littering of the fly tipping variety has no doubt been aggravated by charges at council dumps/ 'recycling centres' in those areas that have that- i'm not sure if Greenwich or Lewisham do. For general littering and fly tipping and other things reportable to the council i use https://www.fixmystreet.co.uk and get a prompt response from Bexley. I don't think Greenwich use it- they have a different process i think. 

Outside of London I've been amazed at litter on one Somerset beach. There the council just rely on the tide to come in and take it all away, and it mostly does, from what can be seen. They'd have to collect before high tide each day in the high season and the times do vary, but i'm sure they could do more. As it is they get away with doing nothing.

IdleHans said:

Penalty for a second offence should be summary execution on the spot. That'll learn em. 

Shop a fly tipper should get a council tax reduction for the person reporting imo. Liverpool council discussed this years ago, but it never made it through the relevant committee(s).

IdleHans said:

Penalty for a second offence should be summary execution on the spot. That'll learn em. 

prop their bodies by the side of the road with a sign not to litter on it.

swords_alive said:

I think it's a constant feature these days sadly. Like feet on seats on trains. But littering of the fly tipping variety has no doubt been aggravated by charges at council dumps/ 'recycling centres' in those areas that have that- i'm not sure if Greenwich or Lewisham do. For general littering and fly tipping and other things reportable to the council i use https://www.fixmystreet.co.uk and get a prompt response from Bexley. I don't think Greenwich use it- they have a different process i think. 

Outside of London I've been amazed at litter on one Somerset beach. There the council just rely on the tide to come in and take it all away, and it mostly does, from what can be seen. They'd have to collect before high tide each day in the high season and the times do vary, but i'm sure they could do more. As it is they get away with doing nothing.

  Royal Borough of Greenwich
 https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/parking-transport-and-streets/report-issues-street

I go out every Sunday morning with two bin bags and within a 150 yard stretch of my block of flats I'll fill at least one with rubbish. We suffer from a lack of house fronts nearby as well as a Travelodge on the corner whose patrons see fit to leave whatever they wish outside. 

I get to strike up conversation with people and just being visible doing the job must make people think. I'd say the biggest menaces are foxes, people who empty the footwells of their cars onto the kerbside and dog walkers who think doing the bulk of the job by picking up and bagging their dog's excrement means it's then fair game to leave on walls, in bushes etc.

I enjoy the sense of having a clean street and am slowly galvanising my neighbours into joining my litter picking gang. Fella opposite saw me doing it years  ago and introduced himself as a Bromley Council employee so he kindly provides decent bin bags and litter grabbers as and when I need them. 

hoof_it_up_to_benty said:

Just curious whether an increasing litter problem is simply a London issue or are other areas affected? 

So much rubbish is not cleared up in Greenwich and Lewisham - assume this is all down to cost cutting.

I've just come back from Italy , if you think London has a problem you should see the state of some of their big cities. Graffiti and Litter is shocking . London is paradise compared. 

Valiantphil said:

Anyone who loves their country doesn’t drop litter. 

Anyone who is a guest in another country should not drop litter. 

My pet hate is litter thrown from cars. 

Why not keep until you get home or refuel and deposit then ?

I had some red mist descend once on seeing someone throw a can out the window of a moving car on the south circular many years ago. I pulled up alongside at the next lights and threw a paper cup into their open window except i missed, it was paper and didn't carry despite my best throw, so then i was the one littering and i pledged never to try that again.

Algarveaddick said:

Seeing people drop litter is one of the occasions when I wish I was a double hard bastard who had the cojones to back up telling a scrote (or scrotess) to pick it up. 

Even if you was mate there's no guarantees they're not carrying knife. 

As tempting as it is it's just not worth the risk.

I was walking through the park near me the other day and saw a family having a party of some sort. All seemed good natured. About 20 people. Disposable BBQs and such. The following morning I walked past the spot again and they had apparently bagged up all their rubbish, filled the nearest litter bin and left all the stuff that didn't fit in next to the bin. About 3-4 black sacks worth. Animals or wind got involved overnight and their rubbish was all over the place. 

It really bugged me that they'd been so childish as to think "we've put it next to a bin, so we've done our bit!". And it also bugged me that so many of us were walking around the rubbish, feeling like it's not our problem 'cos we didn't create the mess, and we don't work for the council.