McDonald’s should have been pushed harder to help beat the litter louts
IT was nice to hear that the Britain in Bloom judge who visited Rawtenstall this week was so impressed with what he saw.
An awful lot of work has gone into improving various public spaces in the town by Civic Pride.
Rarely a week goes by when you don’t spot the hi-viz-wearing volunteers helping to improve Rossendale’s main town. And, of course, in other towns in the area too.
Civic Pride pointed out that they rely on a lot of support from Rossendale Council, for things like taking away all the rubbish they have collected.
It does frustrate me though that volunteers have to spend any time picking up litter at all.
Looking at the Facebook page of Haslingden Civic Pride, they have filled over 850 bin bags in recent times – and on some litter picks, can fill 30 bags in one session.
At what point did it become acceptable to drop litter? In most minds, I suspect it still isn’t – but there’s enough of it dropped for some people to clearly think it is someone else’s job to pick up after them.
Given we can’t rely on people to pick up their litter after themselves, it’s important that the council uses the legislation it has at its disposal to reduce the impact of litter.
Planning laws are a good example.
We’re about to get a new McDonald’s in Rawtenstall.
Even without a branch in the Valley, it’s hardly rare to see McDonald’s branded litter at the side of the road.
McDonald’s have committed to doing a litter clear up 150 metres around their new store every day, but it’s a shame Rossendale Council’s planning committee didn’t push the fast food giant harder.
Drive-through restaurants tend to mean that litter travels further, and surely Rossendale Council could have pushed McDonald’s harder on working with organisations like Civic Pride to ensure that the firm does all it can to ensure it clears up after the minority of patrons who seem to think rubbish is someone else’s problem.