ONE man from Liskeard is taking action against “the serious issue of littering” in the town, in the hopes of encouraging more people to dispose of their waste properly.
Mr Langdon started holding his own litter picks in and around Liskeard after he became frustrated with the state many areas were being left in. During a three week period he collected more than 250 glass bottles from a small area. He feels “some people cherish our town, many don’t.”
He said: “I do a lot of litter picking myself, and I do it off my own back because it has annoyed me for so long — someone has to do it.
“It seems that Cornwall’s contractors don’t go into the verges and ditches to collect litter — I understand there might be reasoning behind this, but so much litter is left behind.”
He said of particular concern was the amount of litter left in the streets after refuse collection day, which was inevitably attracting wildlife. He believes if more people recycle effectively it could reduce this issue: “The seagull rearing season is upon us. I notice that they only target households who don’t recycle proficiently or not at all. The problem occurs when households recyclable waste and food waste are all mixed together in a black refuse bag. Cans, bottles, jars, foil, plastic food trays etcetera shouldn’t be going into refuse bags at all, but sorted for the fortnightly recycling collection.”
He added: “The countryside is being lost and destroyed in the quest for materials to replace those which people have been too selfish to reuse or recycle.”
Mr Langdon said not only is the litter unsightly, it can at times be quite dangerous.
“Broken glass is always to be found in Westbourne Park and in seating areas around town,” he said. “Drinkers abandon their bottles wherever they are and some[one] smashes them.
“This glass is a real problem and could cause injury to a dog or even a child — especially when plants become overgrown, you can hardly see it sometimes, it is very dangerous.”
The Cornish Times has contacted Cornwall Council for comment.