' Disgusting': Red Cross clears tonnes of junk and plastic waste from Marjal

RED Cross volunteers shifted tonnes of household waste from the river Bullent in the Pego- Oliva Marjal this week, and expressed their disgust at the unknown culprits' behaviour.

As well as the usual plastic, drinks cans, bottles, bags, sacks, food tins and other general rubbish, they found household junk, wooden pallets and even school coat hangers discarded in the river, which hosts the Pego pre- carnival fancy- dress raft race seven weeks before Easter.

Oliva Red Cross workers cleaned out the whole of the river Vedat, which runs into the Bullent through the protected cross- provincial waterland, and loaded it into a 4x4 vehicle with a trailer attached – several times over.

They reminded the public that Oliva, like most towns in the region, has a free- ofcharge junk- collection service which takes large rubbish items to the eco- park for stripping down and recycling.

Piles of broken furniture, clothing, planks of wood and even mattresses appear daily alongside wheelie- bins in Oliva town, and its littering problem has become worse since the pandemic – as well as crisp packets, plastic waste and drinks cans scattered all over pavements and plazas, disposable masks and plastic gloves now join the general mess.

Members of the public who habitually collect plastic litter on their walks to deposit in the yellow recycling bins are now too afraid to do so in case they have been in contact with someone who has Covid