Dirty Dulwich

[Chillaxed]

There is a responsibility on the public not to litter, fullstop. In a world where everyone acted responsibly and civic-mindedly (made up word but you know what I mean) there'd be little need for the council to litter pick. But some people are selfish d**ks and we pay our taxes for the council to remedy their actions or inactions. Noone is arguing that this is the most important service the council provides, but it is one of the more 'visible' and for some less engaged residents one of the few they percieve to receive in return for the tax they pay. If I were a politician I'd be making sure that a minimum standard is always met, and this doesn't seem to be the case of late.

[Otta]

Firework displays. They cost a lot.

[edhistory]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Firework displays. They cost a lot.

And create litter.

John K

[James Barber]

Hi dumpertruck,

Coiuncil officers have visited Pellatt Road today. Their is little dtritus and apparently no litter but a lot of tree leaves. Tomorrow morning a team will clear the leaf fall.

[dumpertruck]

Very good of you, James. Will also continue to do as fuzzyboots suggested - and which I hear is commonplace in many European countries - and sweep up the immediate area around me on CPR. Got my broom out yesterday and found it surprisingly invigorating...

[Sue]

If everybody cleared up litter in the area immediately around where they lived, there would be rather less of a problem, wouldn't there?

Of course others shouldn't drop it in the first place, but it doesn't take a moment to pick it up and put it in the nearest bin.

Though I must admit my belief in this practice was somewhat shaken the other week when I picked up a paper bag intending to put it in a bin, only to find that it contained dog turds - bad enough, but it had been raining, and .... afraid in that case I threw it rather hastily into the gutter.

The thing is, though - who would be bothered enough to put the turds into a paper bag in the first place, only to then drop it on the pavement? Weird.

[the-e-dealer]

Maybe they put them in the bag and it got soggy before they get to bin.

[bil]

Today our road is lovely and clean (road and pavements)! Thank you Southwark :-)

[jimbo1964]

If I see rubbish dropped around my house (usually Lucozade bottles and the occasional chicken box) I pop them in my bin. It would be good if more people did the same.

Mind you if you think ED is dirty try living in Clapham.. the streets are really filthy there.

[eucalyptus]

Dammit, I was hoping this was a swingers thread. Choose your titles more responsible please. Grazie.

[ellieaness]

Y'all should try living in Bethnal Green....

[jimbo1964]

Y'all should try living in Bethnal Green....

I've done that as well.

[Countrlass22]

we have had repeated dumping fly tipping i reported to council via email on there site they came cleaned it up next working day and despite budget cuts which have made our street cleaning go down from daily to twice weekly they managed calm down fly tipping by more regular checks.

so do keep reporting it we glengarry road

[rgutsell]

HIya all.

I'd like to state that the council street cleaner in charge of the stretch of East Dulwich Grove from Tell Grove to the hospital is a brilliant worker, who is out there any weather, early in the morning, conscientously sorting and bagging our crap. I admire him.

The problem is not the council..its us, the litter droppers, and who set the conditions for the creation of litter.

Why don't we just get down and dirty? If we see someone dropping litter, take a beep breath and point it out.

Stop dropping stuff outside charity shops after hours.

If you see someone going through rubbish bags and leaving the contents all over the place, stop them. (I did this recently..and it worked)

If we find take away food boxes on the street, pick them up (aaarrrghhh!) bag them and then, maybe even take them back to the shop that sold them.(Think how effective that would be if well organised!)

Go to fast food shops and complain to them...oppose their licence to trade.

If we see shops leaving rubbish out on the streets and not getting it collected, or packing it well, complain to them, and oppose their licence to trade.

Stop your family, children, associates buying take away food and eating it on the street, buses, transport etc.

Don't eat on public transport.

We live here, and benefit from the very agencies that create litter. It is our responsibility to act on this issue!

Yours Whingeingly

Rgutsell

[Chillaxed]

I do occasionally pick up takeaway boxes, etc, but only while muttering about where I'd like to stick said takeaway box.

And I'll not stop eating takeaways on the street. See, I put the box in the bin after.

You can't legislate for the lowest common denominator.

[rgutsell]

Hiya

No..we can't prevent the Lowest common denonimator. But we can get those who profit, to pay into the clean up.

They made their very well planned profit from the throw away boxes etc. I think they should pay to clean up, or create a way of doing business that does not result in litter, and rat/fox problems etc.

Rgutsell

[Nigello]

I agree with rgutsell - if there is a bit of litter near your house, pick it up and put it in the bin. Call the council and report fly tipping, graffiti etc and challenge shops and individuals that litter.

[rgutsell]

Hiya all

Some more thoughts on this, and related issues.

We are fortunate in having a well developed infrastructure for waste collection, disposal, water treatment, sewage etc. We may complain, but given the high levels of consumption and intense use, we are well off. (Check out many other poorer facilities in other areas of the world).

The council cleaning operation is on a massive industrial scale, and we cannot expect them to deal with all of the changing patterns of litter dropping, dumping, seasonal waste and leaves, careless disposal etc.

On this issues, and others, we would benefit from being more proactive locally, and taking "ownership" of our living areas. This can be done in many small ways, and needs some altruistic thinking and behaviour. There are many small streets in Dulwich, and groups of residents could meet, informally and flexibly, to regularly walk their street and pick up litter, and do other useful things. It would be a good example to children. There are many apsects of local life that could be influenced in this way. Small, useful, pragmatic actions by local people. It would compliment the council work, not duplicate it. Such groups would also be in a much better position to liaise with the other groups, organisations, etc that are using the area in which you live; for example, churches (who bring people in from outside), shops (who bring customers in from outside, and who may generate litter and noise), pubs, bars, resataurants who all benefit from the character of your area, but who may generate noise, litter, unsociable behaviour etc.

This is not about being a do gooder, or busybody or nosey; it's about having influence over the actual area in which you live.

Yours

Rgutsell

[mynamehere]

And saving 10's of millions in pavement cleaning costs. Is there any other country where citizens and shops don't clean the pavement in front of them?

Capital Spring Clean Week: 9-17 March 2013

Spring is coming and Capital Clean-up is calling for active citizens to get involved and hold a community clean-up in their area during these dates to give Southwark a spring clean.

It can be anything you like, from a community litter pick to painting and planting.

Please email me directly if you have any ideas of areas to target,

Capital Clean-up is a partnership campaign led by the Mayor of London as part of his Team London volunteering programme to help Londoners green and clean our city through community engagement and participation. The campaign is now in its fifth year, For more information visit http://www.london.gov.uk/capitalclean-up

Kind Regards

Jo Skelton

Team Leader Community Wardens

Environment and Leisure

Southwark Council

132 Queens Road

London SE5

www.southwark.gov.uk

07939535604

[email protected]