Could This Be The Answer To Littered Streets?
Updated: May 9, 2021
If we are to conquer the persistent issue of littering and fly-tipping, then I would like to offer up the following points for discussion:
We have a BIG problem on our hands and the way to solve big problems is to break them down into smaller solvable problems. Lets separate out Fly-Tipping (e.g. mattresses, chests of drawers etc) from the issue of people leaving rubbish bags in the street - this is often because residents don't have enough bin space to leave their rubbish.
We need to be considering novel ideas (as well as obvious ones) as this problem is not going away (it's getting worse).
We need people to make little changes in our behaviour, and we need to sensibly monitor this in a data driven way. (To cite something that hasn't worked, and hasn't been tracked to the best of our knowledge is the replacement of lots of our litter bins on London Road with a few big belly bins - people can't walk past and deposit rubbish through the side of the bin.... they need to open the big belly bin, and this little extra effort is a step too far for many people).
The picture below might represent a possible answer (see below the picture for more):
If we can herd the plethora of rubbish bags that are left beside lamp posts and rubbish bins into a few key areas, then we have moved the problem forward a little bit. We are trying to change people's behaviours yet if someone is carrying a sweet wrapper or a black refuse bag and there is nowhere for them to deposit it, then should we be surprised at the state of litter on Norbury's streets?
For our local litter problem to be solved, we need to:
Separate out the problem of flagrant and dishonest profiteering (i.e. genuine fly-tippers) from the problem of residents leaving rubbish bags at trees and lamp-posts (these are residents who's refuse collection requirements are not being met, whether reasonable or not).
We need to agree that someone walking down a Norbury Street with a sweet wrapper in their hands should not have to walk too far before they get to a bin.
I would like to propose that the big belly bins are NOT working - people find them filthy to touch, and the extra effort required to use these bins is not one that the community is willing to accept.
We also need to be putting forward some kind of solutions - I am not aware of any solutions being put forward by the council at present. That's not the end of the world in my book, but it would be good if they were willing to harness the ideas that others are putting forward (or challenge them so that we can better understand the problems faced on the council side).