This month I would like to talk about litter and specifically mention a campaign by the Friends of Loddon Vale Parks group to raise encourage park users to use litter bins and clean up after their dogs.
Dropping litter is an offence under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and offenders can be fined as much as £2,500.
Did you know that the council’s street care team are responsible for clearing litter over 245 square miles of the borough? There are also approximately 2,500 litter bins in the borough.
Litter is unsightly, potentially dangerous and, above all, unnecessary. Children could cut themselves on broken glass, discarded food waste attracts pests and animals are regularly injured or killed by litter; choking on plastic bags and getting trapped in cans. Discarded cigarette ends can start grass fires. Dog faeces may contain worms that can cause serious eye disorders in adults and children.
The Friends of Loddon Vale Parks group organise litter picks of Glebe Gardens, Victory Park and King George Vth playing fields.
At the launch of their litter awareness campaign on Sunday 26 July the group talked to visitors, handed out leaflets, car stickers, dog poo bags and stubbis (reusable pouch for wrapping chewing gum in which also has a fireproof lining in which to extinguish cigarettes). They are hoping to encourage parks users to dispose of litter and dog faeces responsibly.
For more information about the Friends of Loddon Vale Parks litter campaign contact Christine Aymes on 07780 600758 or visit www.flvp.co.uk
For more general information about litter issues you can visit www.keepbritaintidy.org
Another item for this month’s column is a reminder to residents to recycle their old Yellow Pages by putting it in their green bin once their new directory arrives.
For more recycling information contact the council 01256 844844 or email
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or visit basingstoke.gov.uk/go/recycle.
If you find that you no longer use your Yellow Pages and prefer to search online, you can cancel your Yellow Pages delivery by calling the directory sales team on 0800 671 444.
