Are cyclists litter bugs?

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Ben

New Member
Tim Bennet. said:
So it was you! The number of summit cairns I have taken apart and rebuilt to remove the tons of rubbish in them. Not only does orange peel take seven years to rot away in the hills, there is still the visual impact. Why should people have to sit around in other people's waste while is slowly rots?

There is much more discussion about waste and rubbish in the outdoors in the States than there is here. They have very different waste strategies for 'human waste' depending on the climate and the popularity of the area. In high use camping areas, like on sand bars on rafting rivers, nothing is allowed to be left behind at all. Everything, and I mean everything, had to be packed out.

In warm forested areas, burying human waste (but not toilet paper) is allowed in the active humus layer, but on high Alpine environments, in very remote areas above the tree line, they recommended smearing the 'waste' as thinly as possible over the south facing sides of boulders and rocks. Within a few days the light and sun had reduced it to dust, whereas burying it in an inactive cold soil layer would only preserve it.

They have even built 'composting toilets' in remote parts of the back country where unusually high numbers of people might camp, such as on junctions on long distance trails. These are often well hidden in sympathetically built rustic structures. I think there is a case for similar ideas to be tried here. One at say Sprinkling Tarn, Fords of Avon or Corrour Bothy might be preferable to walking passed endless small boulders with the tell tale sign of toilet paper peaking out from underneath.

Well yes it WAS me - but not anymore - and as said it was the amount of non-biodegradeable stuff which shocked me more than anything and people who do that know such things take 100 years or more to disappear.

On the plus side a few months ago I was walking on moorland on the N Yorks/Co Durham border and picked up three big party ballons all within about 400 yds of each other, I don't know if they'd been allowed to go from their starting point deliberately or accidently but they were such an eyesore I just couldn't let them stay there.
 
Oh you've lit my touchpaper there !

Whoever started that bloody craze for selling balloons for charity and releasing them en-masse needs a bloody good kicking.

Yeah, it's for chariddee, but they're releasing stuff into the air to come down as non-degradeable litter somewhere, possibly to be eaten by a sheep or something which then chokes to death on it.

It makes me F*CK*NG MAD :angry::blush::angry::ohmy::angry::biggrin::angry::eek::angry::ohmy::angry::ohmy::angry::sad::angry:
 

longers

Legendary Member
My gripe about littering is the roadshine "shrines" that are put up to those who die on our roads (or footpaths and bridleways.)

I think it's a lovely sentiment to place flowers for a loved one, BUT please take them out of the bloody plastic wrapping!!!!!!!!!:blush:
 

Tim Bennet.

Entirely Average Member
Location
S of Kendal
Because if the fell tops weren't regularly cleaned, they would have to be remapped to show the increase in height with all the rubbish. About 40 pounds of rubbish was taken off each of Scafell Pikes / Great Gable / Bowfell every few months.

We never resolved the old chestnut of whether cleaning up made people think it was okay to leave stuff, or if by leaving it you would have shamed people into doing something about it. Our view was only those who cared about their own litter anyway would probably even notice if it was a tip.

We also used to do along the base of the crags on the north side of Ben Nevis as the snow melted in spring. But that was purely to pick up all the gear that had beed dropped over winter. Tons of the stuff. The best was after they tried to do the winter outside broadcast from the Ben but got stormed off. There were even mountain tents and coils of 500ft ropes still in their plastic wrappers that had been blown off the top afer they were carried up by helicopter, but before they had time to be used. Could hardly carry it all down some days.
 

Johnny Thin

New Member
Yes, the toilet paper is a giveaway but grass, leaves or even snow is just as good.

The worst case of "littering" I've ever come across was during poor Charlotte's first proper race when someone threw out an unwanted full water bottle towards the end, to shed weight. It bounced back from the kerb and went under her front wheel, causing a very nasty off.
 

barq

Senior Member
Location
Birmingham, UK
andy_wrx said:
Whoever started that bloody craze for selling balloons for charity and releasing them en-masse needs a bloody good kicking.

It is possible to get a fast degrading type of balloon but sadly people hardly ever bother because they don't think it through.
 

Keith Oates

Janner
Location
Penarth, Wales
I'm suprised that some think it's roadies that litter the hedgerows with plastic bottles, almost all of the ones I ride with, including me, use cycling water bottles and would not throw them away deliberately!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

snorri

Legendary Member
In The Netherlands I have seen net baskets called a Blikvanger (translates as 'can catcher') at the roadsides on leisure routes. They are like a large basketball net set at a convenient height for passing cyclists to dump their cans without the need to stop.
They help keep the place tidy!:blush:
 

mustang1

Legendary Member
Location
London, UK
I think the banana peels are also a big deal and the cyclist should bin it correctly (along with the energy gel wrapper). I do.

If I accidentally drop something and realise, I will circle back and pick it up.
 
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