Campaigner urges authorities to install more dog poo bins around Warwick district - The Leamington Observer

Campaigner urges authorities to install more dog poo bins around Warwick district

Leamington Editorial 10th Apr, 2021   0

A CAMPAIGNER is urging authorities to supply dog poo bins in parks and open spaces around Warwick district.

Alan Collins has been collecting dog mess daily in and around Leamington, even deploying the use of a wheelbarrow to help in his crusade.

On Facebook, the resident demonstrated bins he claimed to have cleared up the week before, overflowing with poo-bags on Newbold Comyn.

Alan says if the authorities would not help, he would look to launching a ‘clean-up campaign’ to clear up after dog-owners. He has applied for grants to do so, but so far has not had any response.




He said: “Bags are thrown in trees, on public walks, on the canal, in parks, and all over the UK. We must protect the environment the wildlife for all our animals, their habitat and the earth. We do not want to see plastic dog poo bags just dumped everywhere we go. This crisis must stop.”

He added where there were no bins, dog-walkers should take responsibility for their dog poo bags and take them home with them. He also said existing bins were not emptied frequently enough.


He told the Observer: “We need proper dog bins. There is none at my local park or leisure centre, which includes a lovely walk. Only normal litter bins are available but these are always full to the top with plastic poo bags. Dog walkers are then putting their bags on top of the bins and all around the base of the bin – it’s a horrendous sight to see.”

He believes those who leave the bags on the ground are fly-tipping and says owners should at least use biodegradable bags until a solution is found.

“There are 15million tons of plastic dog poo bag waste a year which go to landfill and we are not talking of the hundreds of thousands that are being dumped. People are basic fly tipping everywhere. One plastic dog poo bag takes a thousand years to rot. We must have proper large dog bins everywhere in the UK and all of us as dog owners will need to use biodegradable bags for now until we can come up with a solution.”

The campaigner says he has been carrying around a small spade to bury some of the messes he’s been finding. He said he wanted to raise money for large dog poo bins he would be willing to empty himself.

He added: “I have been cleaning up as best as I can. I would like to say a big thank you to all the people who pick up other people’s litter including plastic dog poo bags, you’re all doing a wonderful job for free. We all need to work together on this issue for a better world, free of plastic dog poo bags. We need to invest in this.”

Warwick District Council responded it was working with contractors idverde to review the current litter bin and dog waste bin provision and looking at where improvements could be made.

A spokeswoman added: “However the answer to litter and overflowing bins is not as simple as installing more bins, which would incur additional costs to council tax payers. We would therefore urge the public to take responsibility for their own litter and waste by taking it home with them or finding an alternative bin.

“In the coming weeks we will be launching a number of campaigns to address the issues surrounding litter, flytipping and waste going to landfill, including the Keep Britain Tidy – Don’t be a Tosser campaign.”

She advised request for additional bins would be considered and should be emailed to [email protected].

 

 

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