Rubbish in and around canals

[Richard T]

We have now arrived home from a very enjoyable cruise - Sileby to Milton Keynes and back with diversions to Market Harborough in both directions. Generally everything worked on the locks etc but what was disturbing was the amount of rubbish around especially north of Leicester.

I realise that the river through the city is the main source of drainage so much of the rubbish is not from boaters but it does not look nice. It creates a very poor impression of the city. I do not know what can be done about it - to remove lower branches of trees would stop them gathering plastic bags etc but would only move the problem downstream. Here are a few photos showing the problem

A further problem is boaters who can't be bothered to dispose of their rubbish in the proper place - this heap has been left near Junction Lock on the Soar. Given that it is several hundred metres from the nearest road it can only be boaters who left it.

I appreciate that there are no facilities between Barrow on Soar and Kilby Bridge but it is not a reason for just dumping rubbish. CRT are aware os the issue and are looking for a site for new facilities in the area.

[Loafer]

As long as man lives on this planet, there will be unscrupulous rubbish dumpers who don't give a shit. Some of them live in boats!

[The Toad in the Hole]

A lot of this is flood debris - remember the Soar is a river and we've had some very high flows. The trash lines are rubbish that has been flushed off surrounding land, out of storm drains, even out of flooded bins or places it's been stored legitimately and left behind as the levels drop again, rather than material specifically dropped in the river.

Edited April 10, 2016 by The Toad in the Hole

[Joe the plumber]

Our marina's four main rubbish bins (the really big wheeled lidded ones, perhaps 2-3 cubic metres each) are plenty large enough for all the domestic rubbish from those who live there or just stop over, but virtually every week, there's a load of it rubbish dropped on the ground next to the bins. It makes me both angry and perplexed.

 

If you can be bothered to drop it on the ground by the bin, why not put it in the bin?

[sueb]

Our roads are lined with rubbish. It does seem to be a national problem

[spadefoot]

I would suggest that the bags of rubbish are possibly what has been cleaned up by litter-pickers and has been left in a neat pile for collection later.

[peterboat]

Our marina bins get used by others they nip down with sacks of rubbish and in the end there is no room for us!!. Last year I reported someone to CRT for throwing black bags of rubbish in the canal CRT prosecuted him with my picture and statement I hate these dumpers!!!

[Loafer]

Our marina bins get used by others they nip down with sacks of rubbish and in the end there is no room for us!!. Last year I reported someone to CRT for throwing black bags of rubbish in the canal CRT prosecuted him with my picture and statement I hate these dumpers!!!

 

I hate dumpers too. Boats OR rubbish!

[patty-ann]

I used to live in a swanky posh flat..converted old factory....we had skips and some residents would throw bags of rubbish over fence which enclosed the skips and recycling bins...as for recycling ....forget it..I used to sort out from time to time as it made me so cross then thought this not the place for me..sold up and brought.....Horror House

The rubbish along towpaths just mimics road verges, wasteland, parks...anywhere really that man walks through..we have become a throw away society...hate the disgusting mess that I see.

[cuthound]

I hate dumpers too. Boats OR rubbish!

I quite like the little yelow ones

[Laurie Booth]

Our roads are lined with rubbish. It does seem to be a national problem

Yes, I wish the law would outlaw 2CVs

[Richard T]

I would suggest that the bags of rubbish are possibly what has been cleaned up by litter-pickers and has been left in a neat pile for collection later.

Nice thought but there are no litter pickers operating in the area that I am aware of other than me. I will take some more bin bags with me and pick it up next week end when we boat the section again. I did remove a Dominos pizza delivery bag from the area around Cossington lock and bin it.

[Claude]

Whatever happened to the anti-litter campaigns we used to see in the 70s - keep Britain Tidy, etc?

 

We need better public education and greater penalties. Some will call it "the nanny state" but the point is that public education to make certain things socially unacceptable does work. Think about drink driving for example.

 

I also think that kids should be taken out on school trips litter picking with the appropriate PPE and supervision. That would teach the next generation not to litter.