For many, Sunday is a day of rest. A slower pace, a roast in the oven, and perhaps a gentle stroll. For one member of the Cromwell team, it became something rather different. A litter pick that quickly turned into a stark reminder of how much work still needs doing.
A Litter Bug’s Paradise
Cromwell’s Purchasing Manager Dean has long noticed an abundance of litter accumulating in an area not far from his home. It is one where many workers stop for a rest, people walk with their dogs, and sadly litter is left behind.
A single bin stands nearby, often overflowing and largely ignored. What should be a welcoming gateway instead tells a different story, one of neglect.
On a warm spring Sunday, Dean decided enough was enough. Armed with refuse sacks and a litter picker, he set out expecting a quick tidy up.
Eleven Bags Later
What he found was not just litter, but layers of it. Drinks containers, food packaging, and the usual throwaway items are linked to life on the move. But beyond that, something more troubling.
Fly-tipped waste had crept in, including old poles, broken furniture and household items that had no business being there. All scattered along what should have been the entrance to a peaceful woodland walk.
In just over an hour, Dean collected eleven full bags of waste.
More Than a One Off
This was not the first clean up in the area, and that is the real issue. When a problem repeats itself, it stops being an accident and starts becoming a system failure.
More bins may be needed. More frequent collections. Clear signage. Stronger enforcement against fly tipping. Whatever the solution, doing nothing is no longer an option.
Following the clean up, Dean contacted both the local and town councils, outlining the scale of the issue and suggesting practical steps to prevent it from happening again. The response acknowledged his efforts and the volume of waste collected.