Don’t dump it – bin it! That’s the message to revellers in South Holland this Christmas from the street cleaning teams left to clear up the mess.
More than 37,000 households will have occupants ripping off wrappers and adding to the mountain of rubbish facing the district’s small army of waste collectors.
Coun Roger Gambba-Jones, portfolio holder for waste management at South Holland District Council, said they will need all the help residents can give.
He said: “Our waste collection and street cleansing teams are always very busy, but especially so over the Christmas and New Year periods.
“The inevitable increase in waste generated from our 37,000 plus households, along with the rubbish that often litters our streets following a night of festivities, means that our teams will need all the help our residents can give them.
“Residents get very upset when they see litter and fly-tipping on our streets, as do I, and I can understand their frustrations when we sometimes seem to be taking too long to deal with it.
“Although our very small street cleansing team does its best, any significant increase in these will inevitably lead to delays in dealing with them.”
Residents can help as follows:
l Recycle as much Christmas refuse as possible making sure, of course, that the right stuff goes in the right bag.
l Check when your collection days are, as these may be different over this period and avoid putting bags out early. They not only make our streets look untidy and unwelcoming, they are also much more likely to get torn open by cats or dogs.
l If you are out partying and find yourself with an empty can or bottle, or you’ve had enough of that Christmas kebab, don’t dump it, bin it!
l Christmas trees will be taken with the black bags, but the council would prefer people to recycle them by taking them to the Household Waste Recycling Centre in West Marsh Road, Spalding.
Refuse and recycling changes are:
l If your normal collection day is Wednesday, December 25, leave waste out on Saturday, December 28. The collection that would have been on Thursday, December 26, will be on Thursday, January 2. The New Year collection day will now be on Wednesday, January 8. For more tips, visit www.sholland.gov.uk