Cycling UK Forum

Two stories which might please, at least a little.

One man is embarking on the "mammoth" task of cleaning the beaches of Wales as he walks the 700-mile coastline.

Geraint John, 51, of Maesteg, Bridgend county, said he wanted Wales' coastline to be the "envy of the world".

After a five-month cycle around the UK last year, the amount of beach litter he saw did not sit right with him.

"All the fantastic places I went... the image that was stuck in my head was all the rubbish that's around the coastline of Britain," he said.

"I started going to my local beach, whenever I could. But I just felt it wasn't enough," said Geraint, who started his journey in the Mumbles, Swansea, on 13 May.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-61499653

Companies will face clean-up costs if their packaging is littered, under new rules being introduced.

They will also be fined if their rubbish is difficult to recycle or if they miss their recycling targets.

The changes are part of the Welsh government's efforts to reduce waste and come into force from 2024.

Wales is ranked third in the world for domestic recycling and the Welsh government wants all waste either reused or recycled by 2050.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-60968570

Not so long ago, I spend every day walking dogs along many miles of canal footpath. Not only did I clean up the dog dirt (of my dogs and others) but I collected at least one, sometimes two, carrier bags of litter per walk, for disposal elsewhere. I did it for many years. It was a never-ending task.

I often asked others, who praised my efforts, to join me. Not one did, usually because they "won't pick up other people's rubbish, they should pick it up themselves".

This task of Sisyphus stimulated various thoughts - why do people litter; why does our polity allow manufacturers to create the stuff of litter? After I bin the carrier bags (even after sorting for recycling) how much simply goes to be litter again in a landfill or the air around an incinerator?

In respect of the stories referenced by the OP, I immediately wonder: who will police the naughty manufacturers of litter if it's found about the place? I fear the answer will be: no one, just as with sewage in the waterways.

Cugel, a sceptic turned cynic.

Cugel wrote: 19 May 2022, 2:28pmclean up the dog dirt

Yesterday I noticed that someone's labelled the bin in the park "POO TIN".

Cugel wrote: 19 May 2022, 2:28pmclean up the dog dirt

Yesterday I noticed that someone's labelled the bin in the park "POO TIN".

On a cycle path between Woolavington and Bawdrip on the outskirts of Bridgwater a notice displayed prominently high up in a tree proclaimed the path as being named "Dog Poo Ally". It's sad why some dog owners are so irresponsible and bring discredit on all dog owners.

I usd to go for walks and periodically I'd do a litter picking walk along my local lanes (I got myself one of those grab thingy's from Amazon). Generally I'd give-up on 5 carrier bags full ('cos they got heavy then0 but if I could find somebody around I'd ask to use their bin and then could collect more.

But I've mostly given that up now as one Sun late afternoon I did one road and collected loads. Then I cycled same road next day in the afternoon and loads of litter back. It was all Red Bull cans and burger boxes undoubtedly from a company who have loads of large lorries coming and going all day (and should never have got planning permission in a rural location with unsuited roads). Also I angered me when carrying 5 full heavy bags of collected rubbish and I stopped and asked somebody washing their car if I could dump some in thei bin and thy said "No". Those two incidents made me realise that people don't care and trying to clean the rural areas is not going to work whilst people/companies regard countryside as something to squeeze as much profit from as you can (irrespective f the damage you do).

Ian

Like Ian,I gave up on it after continually picking up two carrier bags of litter in a 20m long beauty spot we used to visit regularly,every time we visited it would be just as bad.
The litter was always the same,fast food Mc litter type,and I strongly suspect it is the younger generations who are guilty.

rjb wrote: 19 May 2022, 4:48pm On a cycle path between Woolavington and Bawdrip on the outskirts of Bridgwater a notice displayed prominently high up in a tree proclaimed the path as being named "Dog Poo Ally". It's sad why some dog owners are so irresponsible and bring discredit on all dog owners.

We have a narrow road near us that's still fondly referred to as 'dog poo alley' from the 80's. It's my route to the local pub and I can confirm no such problem now.

As a dog owner / walker I can however confirm the situation is getting worse elsewhere. I put it down to 'lockdown dogs' and the amount of new dogs that suddenly appeared. Sadly many have been binned off to the local dog home but picking up poo probably never entered the minds of those who knee jerked buying a dog.

When I was light, flexible and stupid enough to think rock climbing was a good idea, I went out with a guy who simply took with him refuse sacks and tidied up other people's rubbish wherever he went. Works well - or at least, used to.

in the 70's some countries had graffiti in schools.... and litter.The school caretaker cleaned up.Some authoritarian countries did not have this problem as the kids would not dare.
Perhaps we could make kids in schools responsible for classroom cleaning on a rota and bin duty on the playground.The latter was done with great success in one country in some schools.The Year 8's loved it.Start young.
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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

The thing about Eastern Europe back in the day it wasn't strictly the authoritarian regime that kept places tidy it was that there was someto keep places clean. Housing blocks with a guy who's job it was to keep the communal areas in and out of the block in a neat enough state. This lasted a bit post regime change but there was no money for it however community pride meant they still kept tidy for awhile.

My partner lived in Bulgaria for a few years long after collapse of soviet era. It was a nice country to live in apparently. Very interesting things went on that at could learn a lot about. For example heating was a communal thing. Local government ran it and it was like English weather watching to see when the heating would get turned on again across the country following the cooler weather coming in. If only more uk towns used communal heating it would be a lot more efficient I reckon.

Tangled Metal wrote: 29 May 2022, 9:35pmMy partner lived in Bulgaria for a few years long after collapse of soviet era. It was a nice country to live in apparently. Very interesting things went on that at could learn a lot about. For example beating was a communal thing.

You might like to change that...

Jonathan

The second quote in the OP about proposals in Wales about clean-up costs reminded me about a visit to Porth Neigwl beach. I believe this is also called Hell's Mouth because of the regularity with which the powerful prevailing wind used to blow sailing ships ashore. Anyway, there was plastic debris there whose labels suggested it had been blown all the way from Sout America

briansnail wrote: 29 May 2022, 7:45pm in the 70's some countries had graffiti in schools.... and litter.The school caretaker cleaned up.Some authoritarian countries did not have this problem as the kids would not dare.
Perhaps we could make kids in schools responsible for classroom cleaning on a rota and bin duty on the playground.The latter was done with great success in one country in some schools.The Year 8's loved it.Start young.
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I ride Brompton and a 100% British Vintage

Litter picking was a punishment when I was at school - it was an amusing sight to see the miscreants scouring the fields for detritus.
No PPE of course - there would probably be a public enquiry today.