Volunteers says the problem has got worse in the last month due to higher Covid rates
PENTWYN and Llanedeyrn Pickers have been dealing with a surge in littering since the outbreak of Covid, including discarded masks and test kits.
In the last month the group has seen a large rise in littering with 120 bags of rubbish collected compared to the 76 bags in October. This is despite the group going on six fewer outings in November.
“I believe it is because people are too lazy to bin them,” said Barbara Willcocks, 69, who volunteers with the group We Pick Up Litter in and around Pentwyn and Llanedeyrn.
“The level of littering has gone up. It was a lot cleaner, and we were really on top of things. But since Covid we’ve had more people out walking and throwing their litter around. This hasn’t improved since March of last year,” said Mrs Willcocks.
The group has found all types of garbage alongside the face masks.
“We find sweet wrappers, takeaways, bottles, cans, surgical gloves and lateral flow test boxes. We pull out bags of toys that have been fly tipped, which could have gone to charity,” said Mrs Willcocks.
“The worst areas are main roads and parks. With main roads you’ve got people tossing things out of their cars. The kids hang out in the parks using nitrous oxide canisters and balloons.”
The group donates the canisters to Cardiff Rivers Group which scraps them to raise funds to help its work.
Mrs Willcocks, of Hollybush Road, has been a Pentwyn resident since 1981 but first joined the group six years ago.
“I was walking around Pentwyn Lake in 2015 and Cardiff Rivers Group were cleaning out the stream. I was quite interested in this, and I thought I could do this, and I was of retirement age so I signed up with them and so it built up from there,” she said.
The group has 27 members are the moment but due to Covid they often litter pick as individuals rather than as a group.
“We go out on our own and we have our own areas that we like to cover,” said Mrs Willcocks.
“The most rewarding aspect of the job is knowing that you have done something good and that you have left it nice and clean. Even if it is only for a day!”
Mrs Willcocks also volunteers with Age Connects Cardiff and the Vale, where she befriends and contacts members of the elderly who have no visitors.
Since retiring, she enjoys walking and photography, but litter picking has her heart.
“I enjoy what I do, it’s very addictive once you start. You get a knack for spotting litter, you get a glint in the sunshine, and you think, that’s a can hiding in the leaves,” said Mrs Willcocks.
In a final resounding message to the residents of Pentwyn and Llanedeyrn, she said: “Take pride in where you live and put your rubbish in the bin.”
