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Happy New Year!
2007 is here and I look forward to a positive and enjoyable year for South West Devon. I hope you have enjoyed the Christmas period, despite the turbulent weather we've experienced.
The New Year is a chance for resolutions and fresh starts and I have several pledges which I am hoping to put into action this coming year.
The main problem I want to tackle in SW Devon during January is the amount of rubbish which litters our streets and countryside. We all know that council workers do a great job in keeping SW Devon as tidy as possible, but yet our beautiful scenery is blighted by junk and household waste which is frequently visible in most parts of the constituency.
It frustrating for all of us when our local areas are spoiled in this manner, not to mention dangerous for young children and animals. Irresponsible people still think nothing of dropping litter as they move around the streets and some householders go one step further and actually dump large amounts of rubbish and old electrical appliances in inappropriate places.
So what can we do about it? Should local government introduce tougher measures to combat the problem? Are waste collection and recycling policies helping or hindering those trying to keep SW Devon tidy? Or is it inevitable that rubbish will remain visible in today's society?
I'd love to hear your views and to see any pictures of rubbish in your area. The pictures can be emailed to swdevonevents@yahoo.co.uk or through the contact us links on the site.
Happy New Year!
Gary
posted by Gary Streeter M.P. on Monday, January 01, 2007
2 Comments:
Back in the 60s, I grew up with the ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ message that was taught in schools, appeared on litter bins and was commonly quoted. Where has that message gone I wonder? It used to be a point of pride for people to ‘take your litter home’. Why are environmentally- conscious people at all levels not saying ‘leave nothing but your footprint?’
A lot has happened since the 60s. The emergence of take-away food outlets has undoubtedly added to the problem, but it doesn’t make them bad in themselves. Why aren’t they actively required to spread the message in their own packaging and to provide more litter bins outside their premises?. Greater provision of bins by the county/town councils would help as would their being emptied in a timely way.
Another large contributor to the awful litter problem is one of discarded plastic bags. I have been recently shocked by the scale of the problem when taking part in a local river clean-up. They account for a large proportion of the litter in our country and this is such an easy one to solve! As in Ireland, make people pay 10 or even 20 pence for each plastic bag they take away from all retail outlets. Shopping bags and ‘Bags for life’ would soon be a much cheaper option for shoppers and the plastic bag problem would largely disappear. The money so raised should be ring-fenced to provide additional public cleaning services.
The non-collection of waste regularly enough is now encouraging fly tipping. If we recycle, then all waste should continue to be collected (bagged or binned) on a weekly basis. That would also help to reduce the reported increase in the population of rats that will bring their various diseases into our community with increasing cost to our health. This could be partly paid for by the plastic bag levy.
As for heavier household items, include a levy on the price of new goods to pay for their public collection when old. In that way, richer people who can buy new items will subsidise poorer people to dispose of their goods properly and without charge.
Another good idea is for people serving Community Service sentences to be set to work in cleaning our environment in all areas that aren’t currently being cleaned adequately or often enough. I never see anyone obviously involved in Community Service work. In the States, I believe they are identified by orange overalls or something of the kind. I think it would be good to introduce a scheme like that in the UK.
Last but not least, a campaign to re-educate people about the need to keep our country tidy for all to enjoy is vital, with that same message being reiterated at home, in schools and on TV. Make it cool to be tidy and decidedly un-cool not to be.
Happy New Year Gary and many thanks for attending St. Mary's Church, Plympton, to read a lesson at our Christmas Carol Service. I particularly enjoyed your contribution which was delivered with such clarity and sincerety despite an apparent cold!
On the subject of litter I must totally agree with everything said on the subject by Carol of Ivybridge in her recent posting.
One aspect of this problem which I find particularly irritating is the careless and thoughtless disposal of chewing gum onto pavements by people of all ages. I reside close to a large school, a bus stop and a convenience store. The tarmac is littered all over with the messy stuff and it is frequently picked up on one's footwear and often carried indoors as well.
People who are prevented from smoking on public transport use chewing gum to relieve their addiction during journies but promptly spit it out on to the pavements when alighting from the transportation in order to immediately light up a cigarette. Why on earth they cannot discard of the used gum in a civic and responsible manner is beyond me. All they need to do is place it in a tissue until they get home or place it in a proper litter recepticle.
Carol of Ivybridge is absolutely right. We need a new education and awareness campaign directed at schoolchildren and adults alike to reinforce the fact that each and every one of us is responsible for keeping our country clean and tidy.
The RSPB are also concerned at the careless disposal of gum onto the pavements. Apparently, the birds ingest it at this time of year in their desperate search for food and it causes their internal organisms to malfunction. They even try to feed it to their young in the breeding season resulting in the chicks choking to death.
I believe the Government should give local authorities the power to levy an additional tax burden on the manufacturers of chewing gum. The revenue from which to be specifically earmarked to provide staff and machinery to clean up the mess on our pavements caused by their discarded products. They would soon start thinking of safe and hygenic methods of disposing of their used material. After all, there is talk of making the manufacturers of automobiles charge new owners a set fee to be used by the company when ultimately the vehicle is ready for the scrapyard. It certainly tends to focus minds when there is an enforceable monetary consequence to lack of consideration for the environment.
In addition why not give local authorities the power to require shopkeepers and owners of fast-food takeaways to be responsible for litter collections around the curtilage of their premises at regular intervals throughout their trading hours.
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