Forum Topic

Rubbish left on Putney common

Why don’t people clear there rubish when they us the common More bins are needed as this will happen all summertime

Roy Jones ● 1854d20 Comments

It is disappointing that the Govt has put back its plans for introducing a DRS (Deposit Return System).Two different comments on this - the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) and the British Plastics Federation (BPF)https://www.cpre.org.uk/news/a-comprehensive-deposit-return-scheme-is-vital/https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/materials/rigid-plastics/drs-announcement-raises-concerns-packaging-industry-09-05-2019Let's hope that there isn't so much lobbying of Govt that DRS is completely derailed.Scotland is still going ahead with it but it has been put back from 2021 to 2022.

Philippa Bond ● 1850d

"you can surely you can carry a whole load of empties off.  It is obviously too cheap."Deposit and return used to work for empty beer bottles, I believe. Then along came beer-cans. And then ring-pull beer cans.Ocado have been giving 5p back for their carrier bags when you return them to the delivery driver. I'd assume that Ocado get a pretty high rate of bag return for recycling.https://blog.ocado.com/how-ocado-works/bag-recycling-and-collection/

David Ainsworth ● 1850d

If you can afford to buy a full crate of beer and can carry it onto the Common then you can surely you can carry a whole load of empties off.  It is obviously too cheap.  Years ago we did not have credit.Too much talk about rights and not enough about responsibilities.Increase the size of the bins and you will just get more and bigger waste left.  Children have to be taught to be responsible.  In some countries you have to be 21 to drink alcohol - if there is a lack of responsibility now at an earlier age then maybe the age should be raised.

Philippa Bond ● 1851d

David. Good point. But of course it’s difficult to attach the cost of clearing up the mess to the rubbish on the ground. I think education, including an understanding of community values, is a key factor in the equation. Our government’s failure to fund schools over the last ten years is partly to blame. The curriculum is too narrow and teachers have little room to explain the environmental impact of selfish littering. The fact that many of the businesses concerned in distribution and production are keen supporters of the Conservatives is just one of the factors in this chain of neglect. More profit for them, less taxation for community support, not less the dreadful reduction in funding for Council services and schools.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 1851d

This rubbish. Who produces the packaging for food and drink to be consumed (and dumped) just anywhere? Who sells the food and drink on to people?Who profits from this? What is their responsibility?

David Ainsworth ● 1851d

The problem also is the youngster's who would normally be off abroad with all their mates can't. Like the beach's also, we have never seen them so full. Young people are given freedom, so just go and enjoy it. It's no excuse for the mess, but perhaps more bins. Or put a sign up black bags are cheap, fill them up and take them home, you brought all the rubbish with you take it home.

Barbara Stevens ● 1851d

Have we only ourselves to blame as we failed to elect a single Conservator who lives near Putney Common in the recent trustee elections? It is still impossible to email individual trustees, despite this being raised at the Hustings. The Ranger responsible for our Common does his best, but he is only part-time. There used to be two just ten years ago. Shame they wasted about £500,000 on underselling access to Oasis schools and the flats. I see the WPCC are advertising for a “Litter Picker” but I don’t know where that person will be based.I saw a poster in Wandsworth Park yesterday which reads “The Park is not a Bin”. We can’t expect the authorities do take all the responsibility for the mess, in the end it comes down to individual actions.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 1851d

There are a few people who 'litter pick' on the Common without fail, daily.  it is awful the rubbish that is often discarded.  Broken glass bottles and tins are especially bad, mostly confined to around benches. A handful of concerned owners of dogs, make as far as is possible, a safe area for dogs.  Those who don't use the Common overmuch have no idea how awful it can be sometimes.  Hopefully, with it not being as hot as it could be, the problem will be kept to a minimum. Most people who go today will be genuine lovers of the Common

Barbara Shillabeer ● 1851d

Exactly, John!  I think it’s worth spending money on adverts to let people know littering and fly tipping are wrong.

Martine Guy ● 1851d

I found the Keep Britain Tidy adverts very effective when I was young.

John Geoffries ● 1851d

Heather, I agree totally with what you say about people’s sense of entitlement.  I have thought about planting flowers in the tree bases close to the animal hospital, inspired by other such planting around SW15, but wondered if it was worth it, as people might still use these places for dog fouling. Maybe I’ll give it a go and see what happens. I think some people throw their litter on the ground or fly tip because no-one has ever told them it is the wrong thing to do.  that is why I think public information adverts are a good thing.

Martine Guy ● 1851d

Martine, I genuinely admire your ability to de-stress and turn a blind eye!  I reckoned (correctly, on that occasion) that the words of a passer-by are sadly insufficient to pique the concern of those brought up blind to respect for others; however social media / internet profiles do cut to where it hurts!

Heather Christie ● 1851d

Heather, I love the fairy trees of Gwendolen Avenue and am disgusted that anyone could let their dog do this.  Good for you for confronting her! I am trying to de-stress so didn’t say anything to the school girl in Charlwood Rd, but I couldn’t believe my eyes.   When I was at primary school, back in the 1960’s, I threw my sweet wrappers on the ground and a lady told me to pick them up.  I did so and have never thrown litter on the ground since then.

Martine Guy ● 1852d

Loving this thread (except the bit about chucking litter over a school wall - @Martine you are very good for not saying anything - I would have been unable not to!).  I once met a lady letting her dog cock it’s leg on Gwendolen Ave - on the door of the ‘fairy tree’ where children all played and exchanged toys back then.  I confronted her, and she just shrugged and said, ‘it’s not my problem, dogs do their business at trees, they should fence it off if they don’t like it’.  It is this entitled attitude that galls me, and that causes many of our societal problems IMO.  FWIW I got out my phone and started filming her and the dog, giving a commentary, and she was way more spooked by that than by being spotted letting her dog soil a children’s play area.

Heather Christie ● 1852d

Sorry but the Wombles of Wimbledon, haven't been able to Womble free.

Barbara Stevens ● 1853d

Ed, I thought Wombles picked up litter?

Michael Ixer ● 1853d

I watched a squirrel in Leaders Gardens climb down a tree and into a bin, retrieve some takeaway wrappings and carry them back up the tree. Only to discard it and try again. It did this several times - perhaps it does this every day.Of course they would have to be big squirrels - Womble sized perhaps to explain the rubbish mentioned earlier.

Ed Robinson ● 1853d

It’s a shame you think we need adverts advising people to take care of their own litter but I suspect you are right.  What would help more would be if people were brought up to respect their environment and duty to clean up after themselves.  Sadly that does not seem the case - I see so many posts and articles about people’s rights but so few in comparison over the flip side of responsibilities.  It would be nice if more attention were paid to that side of living in society but it seems to me less all the time sadly.On a positive note nice to see so many people out enjoying some fresh air and the nice weather after our three month break, and fingers crossed it regarding COVID transmission....

Mike Warman ● 1853d

I agree, Alan.  I would like to see public advice adverts. Yesterday, I saw a secondary school girl on her way home, throw her rubbish over Hotham school wall.  I didn’t say anything, because I couldn’t face it, but I know I should have done.

Martine Guy ● 1854d

We don't just need more bins and frequent emptying.  We need some public service adverts, policing, fining, public shaming.I was on Putney Heath and Wimbledon common last weekend (Before this week's madness).  A baby's car seat had been left in the woods!  I couldn't believe it.  I carried it to the bin, along with a load of other rubbish I collected as we were walking around.  It's getting worse.

Alan Sherman ● 1854d