Island Roads has been accused of failing to help deal with marine pollution and the littering of cigarette ends which an Isle of Wight parish councillor has said ‘all end up in the sea’.
However, in a statement jointly agreed with the Isle of Wight Council, Island Roads said it was ‘concerned’ by the councillor’s comments which it said appear to reflect a misunderstanding of the highways service provider’s responsibilities.
Councillor Rebecca Hardie told Nettlestone and Seaview Parish Council last week:
“Cigarette ends are the most littered item anywhere,”
“A lot of people don’t realise that they have got plastic in them. They think they’re just stubbing something out which is biodegradable…it absolutely isn’t.”
Reporting back from a recent conference hosted by community group Planet Aware, she said everyone she spoke to at the marine pollution forum raised the same issues: a lack of bins where they wanted, being unable to have them emptied and complaints about Island Roads.
Cigarette butts can take 14 years to break down and in the process release toxins and microplastics in the environment, according to Planet Aware.
Cllr Hardie said:
“Everybody’s complaint was about Island Roads and how they don’t help at all”.
The councillor added that she discussed the issue with the Old Fort and Seaview Yacht Club and suggested installing a cigarette collection box at the toilet block at Seagrove Bay.
Parish council clerk Brian Jennings said he would look into costs for it, put the item on the next meeting agenda.
Cllr Hardie also mentioned another “ballot box” bin idea from Ryde Town Council where the public can vote for a series of options such as “which is the best film – Jaws, Finding Nemo” by sticking their cigarette butt in a specific section of the bin.
She said:
“They wanted to do it in Ventnor, but they couldn’t get the permissions – much of it was to do with Island Roads.”
An Island Roads spokesperson said:
“We are concerned by the councillor’s comments which appear to reflect a misunderstanding of Island Roads’ responsibilities.
“Island Roads empties bins across the Island diligently and in line with the service levels set out in our contract with the Isle of Wight Council.
“It is not within our gift to simply add more bins without the agreement and funding of the local authority.
“While we share concerns about the environmental impact of discarded cigarette ends and we routinely have to remove cigarette ends and other litter from gully water, processing it responsibly to prevent it from entering the marine environment, there is a fundamental need to address public behaviour.
“Discarded cigarette ends are an environmental littering offence. Where they become street waste there is a risk they may enter watercourse or drainage systems.”
Island Roads operatives throw their cigarette butts e everywhere.
I didn’t think they were allowed to smoke in company vehicles!
DID THAT RULE CHANGE!!
No one Police’s anything.
There are rules in the country, but no one enforces the rules.
Dog shit is everywhere too!
Some people’s ability to misunderstand is breathtaking. The reference to Island Roads is about bins, nottheir staff smoking. And I hardly think you can expect the police to solve this one. No one mentioned dog fouling – whilst I agree it is a problem, the event was about the environmental impact of non-biodegradable plastics and where they end up. Where does canine faeces feature in that?
The dog shit is mostly your own comments.
You can’t make this up mate the main concern in our lives is cigarette butts , have they not noticed there are not many people smoking now as there used to be what a complete waste of time this meeting was .
Quite right Terryd. Might as well have a debate on how many angels could fit on the head of a pin. Let’s not worry about violence, drug abuse, corruption, drink and drug driving, vandalism, antisocial behaviour and yes, even dog fouling until we sort out the important issues like what to do with fag ends. We are doomed.
The Isle of Wight should follow the lead of Havant Borough Council and put “Wardens” in busy shopping areas and fine smokers that just litter our areas with their old ciggy butts. This happened several years ago and was very successful, as many were caught. Word soon gets around and a few fines would pay for the “Warden”
This also happened at the Queen Alexandra Hospital where once it was like walking on a mat of ciggy butts. Now the powers that be there have clamped down and it is a lovely clean areas all over the site. It can be done if the powers that be have the balls for it.