Volunteer ‘litter heroes’ are being urged to join a pre-Christmas clean up in Ryde High Street and throughout the town centre.
The campaign is being launched by 3 local town councillors – Karen Lucioni, John McLagan and Phil Jordan.
Volunteers will meet at 10:30 at Ryde Library on Saturday 27th November. They will be provided with rubbish bags and loaned litter pickers for the task.
An issue of concern is that household rubbish gull bags left on railings or pavements may be attracting fly-tippers.
Cllr Lucioni, founder of the Respect Ryde project, is calling for help for people hoping to dispose of large items of household rubbish, such as mattresses, but who lack resources.
“Ryde may have become a bit of a dumping ground, but that’s often because people do not have transport or finance needed to dispose of large items. How about people without a vehicle getting free transport to remove large pieces of furniture etc?”
Cllr Lucioni, who represents Monktonmead, was involved in a similar clean up a few years ago when a bubble gum removal machine was used. She hopes a similar device will be available this time.
Town Councillor John McLagan, who represents Ryde North West, wants an improvement in the removal of domestic waste. He says:
“How are we going to encourage more tourists to come if we’ve got overflowing bags of rubbish on our pavements. I’d like to see landlords providing proper on site bins.”
In one street, he added, people put their household rubbish in the wrong kind of black plastic bag. They were left on the pavement with a message saying they were in the wrong bags for almost 4 weeks before finally being collected.
Councillor Phil Jordan, who also represents Ryde North West and is the Isle of Wight Council’s Cabinet member for Highways and Transport, has thanked volunteers for help in keeping Ryde clean.
“Their dedication and commitment to a cause that blights all of our lives is a great testament to the fact that many residents care enough about the town to want to keep it clean.”
“We need residents and visitors to help with the disposal of waste by not depositing it where it becomes part of the overall litter problem”.
Hope the council’s insurance covers the volunteers, especially those removing heavy items and fly rubbish.
How can a wrong black plastic bag be the wrong type of black plastic bag?
When the dustmen don’t want to take it?
How about getting the council.to use their operatives using the money we pay in council tax?
Hardly see them anymore, certainly not past Green street lights.
I thought we already paid for this. So how about, councillors, getting out there and making some people do their job properly, including the ‘selective: refuse operatives. Wrong sort of bag – what a pathetic excuse.
Several points here. Cllr. Lucioni is calling for help for residents looking to get rid of old mattresses etc. The people supplying the new mattress will offer to take the old one away (as will suppliers of white goods etc). Yes, it will cost a couple of quid but, if you don’t have access to a vehicle, this is the answer. Cllr. Jordan saying the wrong type of plastic bags were used for refuse and the bin men wouldn’t take them. Perhaps he should be taking this up with the IW Council rather than asking for volunteers to sort it out? And, why are unpaid volunteers expected to do the Council’s work?