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Roadside and layby litter and dumping...

(149 Posts)
granjura Tue 24-May-16 19:05:33

If I mention, with great sadness, that since we arrived in the UK 2 weeks ago- although we absolutely love the countryside, we are really upset about the amount of roadside litter and the fact that a large proportion of lya-bys or entrance to fields are full of dumped litter and rubbish of everykind- does that make us

- anti-British

- or sad that this beautiful countryside is spoilt by the dumpsters and litterers? because we love the UK so much?

Ceesnan Fri 27-May-16 15:59:13

We have a box for paper, glass and cardboard, a box for tins and plastic, a garden waste bin, a food waste bin and a general household waste bin. The garden bin and household bins are emptied on alternate weeks, the others weekly. It works well for us.

durhamjen Fri 27-May-16 16:04:15

Every system works well once you get used to it, doesn't it, Ceesnan? I can never understand those who complain. Just think of it as doing your bit for the environment.

granjura Fri 27-May-16 16:07:22

The 3 Rs- refuse, re-use, recycle ...

great that plastics are used in that way- but it's even better to try and keep the use of plastics to the absolute minimum. In France and here washing liquid and softeners, hand wash, etc, can be bought in re-fill pouches, saving money and also tons of plastics- it just take seconds to refill- simple.

granjura Fri 27-May-16 16:09:10

BTW, whenever you have worked done here, new bathroom, new kitchen, etc- the cost of properly disposing of any materials has to be costed in the price.

durhamjen Fri 27-May-16 17:10:03

I have just had my local monthly newspaper put through the door, and one of the letters is about litter being dropped.
The other letter - there are only two - is about www.fixmystreet.com
How about that for a coincidence.
By the way, there is a phone app, too, so that will help those who notice it on their travels. As the resident says, why not give it a try?

granjura Fri 27-May-16 17:14:43

Would anyone here hesitate to take number plate of car or lorry dumping stuff and phone the police? Or take any envelopes with addresses left with bags of rubbish- I wouldn't. In fact done it many a time in the past near us, in the lovely country lane near our old house.

TriciaF Fri 27-May-16 17:19:35

granjura - I believe you're Swiss, which has for years had the reputation of being the most rigidly cleanliness-aware country in the world. (I could provide refs if you insist.)
So no wonder you're more sensitive to this problem.
Re-cycling of waste products is a relatively recent problem in the west and is very costly. We live in France, where recycling is fairly well organised. We are still digging up large items a vacuum cleaner - from our garden which had been buried before the communal "tips" and rubbish bins were provided. Food tins , old shoes, newspapers etc. And people had the transport to get to them. On our walks around the very rural area where we live there are several valleys with old tractors, petrol tanks oil cans etc dumped but covered up by brambles over the years. France has the space, the UK hasn't.
We have to sort our rubbish and transport it either to the village bins and bottle bank, or the communal "tip" for larger items. Which have many sections, including old furniture. But you need transport.

granjura Fri 27-May-16 17:30:11

That was my point Tricia- those of us who live in areas where litter, etc, is far less, do notice it when we visit the UK.
I was just a kid when I came to live in England however...

If people drive into the countryside to dump large amounts of litter- then they do indeed have transport- so have the ones who throw it out of they car, van, lorry window.

Those people here who do not have a car have an agreement with a family member, neighbour or friend, or a private pick up service- or live close enough to the large dug-in bins and take smaller, lighter bags regularly- and try very hard to avoid packaging, etc.

durhamjen Fri 27-May-16 17:40:24

Tricia, that's how it used to be organised here for a long time. In some counties it might well be the same.
When we lived in Hull, all the bottlebanks, etc., were near schools or community centres. At the end of the financial year, all the facilities used to be given cash towards their funds from the money made by the recycling. I do not know if that is still the case.

granjura Fri 27-May-16 18:03:25

Tricia, I live less than half a mile from France- and go there several times a week. As you say, old machinery and cars are fairly common near farms- but much rarer than they used to.
A bit more roadside litter than here, but not much really- and I've never ever seen any fly-tipping anywhere either.

Jalima Fri 27-May-16 19:29:18

What is EF, Jalima??

EF are language schools around the world; presumably they are to teach people who do not speak English as their first language to read signs such as:
www.google.co.uk/search?q=sign:++no+littering%5D&tbm=isch&imgil=KUf6eUXSz91YMM%253A%253BeFbPnEWjQhuxcM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.shutterstock.com%25252Fpic-201794024%25252Fstock-vector-no-littering-sign.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=KUf6eUXSz91YMM%253A%252CeFbPnEWjQhuxcM%252C_&usg=__sBK81ZMwSVsEILOsMeS5f2C9L2c%3D&biw=1024&bih=653&ved=0ahUKEwibnsne8PrMAhVsDMAKHY4GAFsQyjcIKg&ei=WJFIV5uSNeyYgAaOjYDYBQ#imgrc=KUf6eUXSz91YMM%3A

Ooh, that's long!!

So it could be the British illiterati.
Interestingly, I was coming home through an AONB today and saw litter for the first time by the side of the road - it looked like two paperback books confused

Jalima Fri 27-May-16 19:31:56

I think we are all agreed that we do not like litter by the roadside, in the countryside, and we are all careful to recycle and not to litter.

So who is doing it??

Maggiemaybe Fri 27-May-16 20:55:52

Oo, I wonder where the readers went, Jalima? Shall we alert Mulder and Scully? grin

granjura Fri 27-May-16 23:09:31

My favourite road sign is

'heavy plant crossing' smile

granjura Fri 27-May-16 23:10:31

In Switzerland, my English students always thought the Swiss are so cruel as we have special bins for 'PET'

Alea Fri 27-May-16 23:13:10

A propos of road signs, "Soft verges" used to reduce my French friends to hysterics.

granjura Fri 27-May-16 23:28:11

it made me laugh too when I first saw it- opposite a shed manufacturer with a large sign 'FREE ERECTION'...
but we digress ...

Sorry, been out at a Council meeting- guess what we discussed tonight...(how to best deal with the tiny minority that is leaving bags by the new bins and not get them 'weight and paid'...they all said they were all foreigners- and I tried hard to dismiss the notion

Atqui Sat 28-May-16 13:18:21

Our local TV news programme, and local paper have highlighted the problem of litter on Dartmoor. Apparently it costs £20,000 a year to clear it up, and they are encouraging everyone to pick up litter when they see it. I find it hard to understand that people want to visit a beautiful pace , and then contribute to spooling it for others.

granjura Sat 28-May-16 13:23:52

How sad- and so dangerous for wildlife too and the horses.

I always carry a plastic bag with me on walks to pick up litter I see on my way. Fag ends are dreadful despite their small size.

Jalima Sat 28-May-16 17:39:24

'heavy plant crossing'
Triffids thundering across the road

The trouble is, if you confronted someone you saw dropping litter they could become aggressive.

Alea Sat 28-May-16 18:23:58

Workmen in road slow

Typical British navvies grin

granjura Sat 28-May-16 18:28:07

Always said I would dress as a plant on 1st of April, and hide behind the local sign and cross in front of traffic.... but never did have the guts smile

Jalima Sat 28-May-16 20:53:01

slow might be good
Standing still and all contemplating a hole in the road is more like it!

Is this us?
www.google.co.uk/search?q=old+people+crossing&tbm=isch&imgil=ieDkJF1DWkprzM%253A%253B_ftY2QWItBgVsM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fthesignpost.com%25252FOld-People-Sign.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=ieDkJF1DWkprzM%253A%252C_ftY2QWItBgVsM%252C_&usg=__50CFX9MdbE-0nEmajJS8ePsXnSI%3D&biw=1024&bih=653&ved=0ahUKEwj-lZDWxf3MAhUMK8AKHeqpAvgQyjcINg&ei=1_ZJV77OJ4zWgAbq04rADw#imgrc=ieDkJF1DWkprzM%3A

sorry, why are these so long?