1100kgs worth of rubbish along roads
Carol Lamb has become Taupo’s own tidy kiwi, having picked up a whopping 1150 kilograms of roadside rubbish since the end of January.
Lamb declared a war on rubbish after a bike ride along one of the State Highways revealed just how bad the ‘car litter louts’ problem is.
‘‘It’s mainly rubbish thrown out of car windows,’’ Lamb said.
‘‘We need to educate people to bin it or take it home. It’s not okay to pollute our town.’’
Lamb has kept a record of the rubbish she has picked up. There was 320kg along the road by the Control Gates Hill to Wairakei roundabout, 121kg from Rainbow Point to the Airport roundabout, 32kg along Huka Falls road, 535kg along Centennial Drive, Broadlands View, and Aratiatia road, 94kg along Napier/Taupo road to roundabout, 32kg along State Highway 1 - just north of the new bridge - and 16kg along the lakefront.
Fast food litter, alcohol bottles and cans, bottle caps and even dirty nappies have been picked up by Lamb.
While Lamb has done the big rubbish hauls with her car, the rest of the rubbish collection has been done on mountain bike - and thanks to mown glass, Lamb’s bike tyre was punctured recently.
Lamb normally bikes Rangatira Park to Airport roundabout SHW then on to Centennial drive off ramp to Broadlands road over the dam and then back home. Or she bikes up Napier/Taupo road to check out rubbish along the ETA to Wairakei or off at Centennial drive. 1600km since January.
‘‘I enjoy my cycling circuits and [am] absolutely frustrated with the amount of litter,’’ she said. ’’I really feel it’s up to all of us. How are we going to change the culture?’’
Wanting to get, not only the Taupo community educated but also those from out of town, Lamb took her rubbish collection data, along with an idea she feels will help reduce the problem, to a Taupo District Council meeting last month.
Lamb has offered a signage solution, having them placed along main arterial roads, State Highways, entrances to cycleways, even take-away stores, alcohol outlets and car hire companies.
Lisa Nairne, communications manager for TDC, said they are working with Lamb on the issue but in terms of signage there’s a lot of processes to go through.