Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Overflowing bins ‘not to blame’ for litter piling up
Council says rubbish should be taken home
Unsightly photos of litter piled up by overflowing bins have prompted calls for them to be emptied more regularly at visitor hotspots.
The district’s outdoor spaces have been left strewn with rubbish as groups have gathered along the coastline and at scenic locations to enjoy the warm weather under newly relaxed social distancing rules. Herne Bay resident Peter Hopkins spotted fast food boxes and plastic bags full of waste heaped along the town’s promenade on Sunday evening.
“If you are guilty of contributing to this, you should be ashamed,” he said, urging people to take rubbish home with them.
Rough Common resident Michael Walter photographed rubbish piled around an overflowing bin, in the “delightful oasis of greenery” of Canterbury’s Hambrook Marshes. “During lockdown, Hambrook Marshes has been an absolute godsend to thousands of local people.” he said.
“It is therefore really distressing to see the amount of litter that is now being left behind. “The bin beside the footbridge over the river to the park and ride is regularly full to the brim or overflowing, and evidently not being emptied frequently enough by Serco.
“Of course, while it is easy to blame Serco for failing to keep on top of the problem, if only the public could be persuaded to take their litter home with them, or at least hold on to it until they come to an empty bin, we could all enjoy a much pleasanter environment, free from the blight of discarded litter.” Canterbury City Council which contracts Serco to carry out waste disposal - has not responded to the calls for more frequent collections, putting the onus on visitors to take rubbish home if bins are too full. Spokesman Rob Davies said: “People who drop litter are selfish and irresponsible and we outright condemn such anti-social behaviour.
“Sadly, it is a societal problem, but while the finger of blame is all too often pointed at the council, it’s not us who choose to leave the contents of a barbecue on a beach, or a picnic at a beauty spot.
“There are more than 1,500 litter, dog and cigarette bins across Canterbury, Herne Bay, Whitstable and the villages - plenty for the size of the district - so there is no shortage of places to leave rubbish. “Virtually all of them have stickers on asking people to take their rubbish with them if it is full. The same goes if there is no bin close by. It’s really not difficult. Staffing levels among the street cleaning crews are up to full capacity so there are no issues with the ability to empty bins. We just need people to do the right thing and take their rubbish home with them should one be full.”
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‘People who drop litter are selfish and irresponsible and we outright condemn such anti-social behaviour’