Just want some advice on what I should put in my letter to the local council about the amount of littering which is happening in my local area.
I have two parks near my house and for the past two weeks I have been picking up the rubbish myself and on Saturday I filled up three bags including a couch cushion and a handbag. I think me picking up the rubbish is only a temporary solution but not sure what to put in my letter to the council expect the parks clearly need more bins.
Or - Leslie Knope
Dear concerned citizen,
I have been briefed regarding your grievances and I have swiftly taken action.
Effective as of two weekends ago, I personally attended the park in mention and I noted that there was a very effective individual canvassing the area for litter. I can confirm the efficacy of this individual as upon return several hours later, I no longer note the same level of refuse.
I can only assume that this individual is a valued member of our parks department.
I shall forward your compliments and support.
Once again, I am glad to be of service.
Yours truly
Local councillor
Take photos of the rubbish every time and report through the council report app https://www.snapsendsolve.com
Photo evidence over a period of time that it is an ongoing problem is harder to ignore than just one letter.
You can also report litterbugs on the epa website. Admittedly, the main intent is to get people littering from cars.
Don't forget to post it on Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, to deep those sweet, sweet likes/karma points
look up the council website and contact them directly.
take the bags of rubbish to the council office and drop it off in reception stating "this is how much crap I pick up from <inset park name> every weekend. maybe you guys need to work out a better solution for this issue considering the rates that residents pay for you to collect this rubbish, but don't"
Keep australia beautiful council in your capital city should be able to advise you as well
If your council is anything like mine (lazy pricks) they'll nod their heads and forget about it the moment you walk out of their office.
Try reporting the littering to the EPA, with photos if possible, they are a lot more likely to follow up on complaints - with prosecutions - than a fat cat sitting in an air conditioned office counting paper clips.
Kudos to you for taking the initiative - if only more people did this (and/or didn't litter in the first place…)
OP has good intentions. Unfortunately the unintended outcome is it only benefits those who are literring.
Council never acknowledges anything that increases their expenditure, much less if the evidence is removed.
It's every single person's responsibility to improve situations like this, not only the council's.
It is everyone's responsibility to dispose of their trash appropriately.
It cannot be everyone's responsibility to remove existing trash.
Ideals and Utopias are lovely but they don't exist. If you become a volunteer cleaner the litterbugs continue to litter and the proper authorities will never acknowledge the issue. The litterbugs come back to a clean environment and it is assumed the trash never affects anyone. The council assumes there's no trash. Littering increases. Your volunteer labour increases…
See where this is going? It is not a sustainable solution.
We're not living in a village of a few hundred. There is no social accountability. Wish and demand for it all you want, you can even pretend it exist but it simply does not.
Not only does the action of an individual not effect change, there may be unintended outcomes. In a large society, the only thing that starts any change is policy and enforcement.
@[Deactivated]: I'm not saying it's everyone's responsibility to remove trash. I said it's everyone's responsibility to try improve the situation. That includes pushing for policy and enforcement (as well as many, many other actions).
It's fairly naive to believe that an individual can't effect change.
It's fairly naive to believe that an individual can't effect change.
I didn't mean it literally but the person needs to effect change by going after policy change.
I said it in context to one person cleaning up garbage.
Same thing when doctors go to third world countries. Unless it is an acute scenario, ie earthquake relief, it isn't just futile to treat patients, it is counter productive. They become dependant and doctors do not live forever, or even stay forever. They should be training the locals and as heartbreaking as it is, refrain from directly helping.
This scenario is very similar.
Exactly what you have told us is all you need to tell them.
Don’t write a letter, just pick up the phone.
What is the solution you are after? Does the park need additional bins, night lighting or just to be added to a litter route?
Also worth including how the park is being used. are there school kids there every afternoon or is it used by fitness groups? you want to demonstrate that the broader community will benefit not just yourself.
Thanks, there's plenty of groups who use the area. I'll make sure I mention them
pics or it never happened
Which area is it in?
Some bins are being moved to park perimeters to reduce visual clutter and smell.
Shouldn't be too hard for people carry rubbish out if they can carry it in. But then again, people, what a bunch of bastards
You should join the Philip Island, Cowes jetty cleanup during schoolies.
Every morning during schoolies, the volunteers pick up hundreds of used condoms.
Kudos for using protection but I'd hate to even imagine the smell. Rotting seaweed for me, tyvm…
Good on you for spending your time cleaning up.
Collect photos over time and write to them until they do something, failing that raise it with the local MP.
You face a problem known as tragedy of the commons.
Asking council for more bins is good.
But a more effective solution is through regulation…
How about asking them to put up some fine signs for littering; if they can't be arsed, maybe pay for it yourself if it's not too expensive. This might act as a deterrent even if no one enforces it (or you can try to collect it for your efforts).
To whom it may concern