Litter problem

There currently appears to be a severe lack of respect within Cullompton when it comes to rubbish. whether it's the Cullompton Community Association fields, Exeter Road, High Street or Langlands, you will see one thing in common...litter.

Is it a problem stemming from a lack of rubbish bins available for public use? That could explain why so many dog owners leave their dog's waste instead of picking it up and carrying it to the nearest bin. Or is it a problem of poor education? Are schools and businesses doing enough to educate both children and adults about the responsibilities of waste management?

Is it fair for those who are littering to be able to simply throw their rubbish on the ground and face no punishment, instead tax payers money going towards unnecessary things such as this.

Perhaps each school and business can take it in turns to play their part, to sign up willing participants to do a litter pick and put on public talks to help educate for those who are unaware of the implications littering has.

The plastic carrier bag for example, a simple everyday object that you often find caught up in shrubbery or in lakes. When someone drops one or lets one fly away in the wind, does a thought for local wildlife cross their mind? A thought for the person who ends up having to clean it up and dispose of it properly?

Is a solution a payback scheme, which sees people on community service taking out actions such as litter picking, graffiti and chewing gum removal, but at the cost of £170 per day for a supervisor.

Another option is to have a voluntary group of residents from each road take it in turns to fulfil such duties. Duties which can help lower the council's spending and in return make the possibility of council tax increasing.

We would love to hear your feedback and your ideas. Do you think everyone should have to participate in some form of voluntary work in return of council tax not increasing?

#litter #wastemanagement