Littering Cyclist.

[ebikeerwidnes]

The problem with organic 'litter' is the volume

If you lob a banana skin over the fence and it takes 12 months to decompose then this isn;t a problem - after 12 months it is gone and the soil has some nutriments
However, if,after 2 months, someone else lobs a banana then for the next 10 months there are 2 banana skins
and if this carries on all year

you can see where this is going

so - in a wild place where hardly anyone goes then it may be no problem
but along a well used path it becomes a problem due to volume if the practise is considered to be normal

 

[BoldonLad]

In a thread about litter, I am surprised no-one has mentioned my pet hate ie plastic bags of dog crap, hung from trees and otherwise "disposed of" almost everywhere. They (the dog owner) has done the unpleasant bit (ie picked it up), why not finish the job and dispose of it correctly?

 

[Dogtrousers]

The problem with organic 'litter' is the volume

If you lob a banana skin over the fence and it takes 12 months to decompose then this isn;t a problem - after 12 months it is gone and the soil has some nutriments
However, if,after 2 months, someone else lobs a banana then for the next 10 months there are 2 banana skins
and if this carries on all year

you can see where this is going

so - in a wild place where hardly anyone goes then it may be no problem
but along a well used path it becomes a problem due to volume if the practise is considered to be normal

Whether or not it degrades it shouldn't even be an issue. If you took it with you, take it home, whatever it was. "Oh it will degrade" isn't a relevant point.

OK, there may be some cases where it's relevant. If I accidentally drop some crisps, I probably wouldn't pick them up, I'd just stomp on them a bit because they will degrade/get eaten by wildlife, but if I accidentally drop some sweet wrappers, or tissues I will pick them up.

But if you have to actively make a decision: Do I leave this banana skin / orange peel / newspaper here or do I take it home? then there is only one answer: BLOODY WELL TAKE IT HOME.

 

[cougie uk]

In a thread about litter, I am surprised no-one has mentioned my pet hate ie plastic bags of dog crap, hung from trees and otherwise "disposed of" almost everywhere. They (the dog owner) has done the unpleasant bit (ie picked it up), why not finish the job and dispose of it correctly?

Probably because the title is littering cyclist and I'm sure that cyclists out with dogs is a tiny subsection of that.

But yes anyone doing that needs shooting.
I told a dog walker off for leaving her bagged poo behind and she told me (and she was deaf) that she was going to pick it up on the way back and I felt awful. But who knows if she really was. I'd never dream of it.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Probably because the title is littering cyclist and I'm sure that cyclists out with dogs is a tiny subsection of that.

But yes anyone doing that needs shooting.
I told a dog walker off for leaving her bagged poo behind and she told me (and she was deaf) that she was going to pick it up on the way back and I felt awful. But who knows if she really was. I'd never dream of it.

A few years ago I was walking with a friend of a relative and his dog down to a beach. Before we got to the beach he did just that, tucked the poop bag away by the path. I decided not to say anything unless he left it there. And sure enough, on the way back he picked it up, rather than carrying it round on the beach.

So some people do. Obviously not all, as the evidence shows.

 

[classic33]

In a thread about litter, I am surprised no-one has mentioned my pet hate ie plastic bags of dog crap, hung from trees and otherwise "disposed of" almost everywhere. They (the dog owner) has done the unpleasant bit (ie picked it up), why not finish the job and dispose of it correctly?

Any idea of the value of a bag?

 

[matticus]

The problem with organic 'litter' is the volume

If you lob a banana skin over the fence and it takes 12 months to decompose then this isn;t a problem - after 12 months it is gone and the soil has some nutriments
However, if,after 2 months, someone else lobs a banana then for the next 10 months there are 2 banana skins
and if this carries on all year

you can see where this is going

so - in a wild place where hardly anyone goes then it may be no problem
but along a well used path it becomes a problem due to volume if the practise is considered to be normal

Good post. However ...
I've never seen a banana-skin tree. If I saw such a tree, I'd probably think to throw mine somewhere else, or tuck it into a hidden spot.

I wouldn't throw a 'skin into someone's garden or similar. I tend to only jettison organic stuff in the countryside; where there are plenty of things to eat/decompose it, and very few people around to take offence.

And I stopped eating 'nanas on rides years ago, as their ubiquity on organised events put me off the things!

 

[BoldonLad]

Any idea of the value of a bag?

No

 

[Randomnerd]

Cat litter, m'lud.
No further questions.

 

[Milzy]

The fly tippers will pick a beautiful spot to dump their rubbish. It must cost them a fortune in fuel sometimes. Cheaper & quicker to actually use the local council tips.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I have started to take photos of any fly tipping that I come across
As I tend to try to ride on quieter roads - preferably rural ones - and hence I use the route that fly tippers tend to use
As I track my rides using Strava then GPS is always on - hence the location is logged on the photo .
When I get home I report it to the relevant council. I have found out how to do this eaily for the local ones - but if it is somewhere I don't know much about then I report it on https://www.fixmystreet.com/ and they sort it out from there

just my little campaign - thought I would suggest if anyone else wants to join in

 

[Threevok]

Someone discarded four used scratch cards outside my front gate, yesterday. 😠

It wouldn't have been so bad, if one of them was a winner

 

[BoldonLad]

I have started to take photos of any fly tipping that I come across
As I tend to try to ride on quieter roads - preferably rural ones - and hence I use the route that fly tippers tend to use
As I track my rides using Strava then GPS is always on - hence the location is logged on the photo .
When I get home I report it to the relevant council. I have found out how to do this eaily for the local ones - but if it is somewhere I don't know much about then I report it on https://www.fixmystreet.com/ and they sort it out from there

just my little campaign - thought I would suggest if anyone else wants to join in

Yes, I do the same. Generally, Councils are on the ball, with respect to clearing up. But, I would prefer to see the miscreants caught, and, made to eat their fly-tipping (and/or dog crap).

 

[T4tomo]

It would be more cost efficient to revert to free usage of council recycling centre's for self tipped van loads of trade waste.

It was imposing a relatively small charge that caused the increase in fly-tipping which is very expensive to police and clear up after.

I thought I'd caught a van in the act on morning, turns out it was the council picking it all up to "unblock" the country lane. I regret punching him before giving him a chance to explain.

*no of course I didn't punch him

 

[Dogtrousers]

I thought I'd caught a van in the act on morning, turns out it was the council picking it all up to "unblock" the country lane. I regret punching him before giving him a chance to explain.

Don't worry about it. We've all done it, I'm sure. I expect they are used to it, and cyclists have notoriously weedy arms.