A simple PR exercise

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Peter Burgess

New member
Here's an idea to think about.

Take a look at the surface areas around the more popular sites we visit.

How much litter can you see lying around? Imagine you are a local resident, or just a passer by. Would your first thought be to associate the mess you can see with the cavers who frequent the area? Probably yes.

So take 5 minutes to pick up the litter and take it away. It doesn't take much effort, and, who knows? Someone might actually spot you doing it.

Some years back, I did just this at a site local to me. A car pulled up, and a man got out to have a go at me about the messy cavers. In his eyes we were all tarred with the same brush. The litter was largely the debris from the local take away in the town nearby. This layby was a popular spot for drivers to pull over, eat, chuck their rubbish out of the window, and drive off. The majority of the litter I had collected was coke bottles and McDonald wrappers.

The local apologised, and went off a bit wiser I would like to think.
 
M

Mr Fell

New member
I can think of several sites where cavers do, from time to time, leave litter and debris - usually in the form of old underpants, socks and that get left behind while changing !However normally things dont get out of hand. :roll:
 
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Peter Burgess

New member
Cavers' record for leaving rubbish around is no different to any other group of people. Not all cavers are squeaky clean. We all sometimes do things that others might raise an eyebrow to, perhaps without realising it. All I'm suggesting is that if a proportion of us do something to redress the balance it can only be to everyone's benefit.
 
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darkplaces

Guest
Once the gates are installed on Box I'll organise a trip to gather rubbish, of course any of you are welcome to come alonge help out and meet the mad bad and crazy rodent.
 
P

Peter Burgess

New member
Well, I did it, only it took two hours, not five minutes. :roll:

From half a mile of road, passing by where cavers usually park, and I picked up three large binliners full of plastic bottles, crisp packets, glass bottles, bits of car lamps and bumpers, fag packets, newspapers, burger boxes....

The CLEANEST bit, was where the cavers park!!!!
 
SamT

SamT

Moderator
Good effort.

:D :D :D

I make it a habit to try and clear up caves (well anywhere really) as I pass by.

Im always gobsmacked at the sweet wrappers (usually mars snickers or twix) left at the bottom of pitches - obviously eaten by cavers whilst waiting. and not in places where you get school group types

I always try and stick it in a pocket and take it home.

its probably in my nature - but I always feel a real sense of satisfaction at leaving and area all neat and tidy - be it a dig, a cave, a hut etc.

Others think Im just fussing and fannying on. but Im a bit obsesive when it comes to leaving things neat and tidy.

Theres a few caves in the peak I could name that could do with a good spring clean.

regards....

Mrs Mop
 
L

Lincolnshire poacher

Guest
To date i've collected 8 bags of rubbish from Box. Most of that was blue string.................

Last time i was down there i took along a bin liner and got some weird looks from other members in the party. What really bugs me is old battteries being left behind!.
 
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Peter Burgess

New member
When local councils start imposing a quota on how many bags they will collect each week, and start charging for any bags over the quota, it might stifle this kind of conservation work. In fact it will probably make things worse with a greater incentive to fly-tip. The council authority at Merstham where I was today have already announced plans to do just that.
 
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darkplaces

Guest
Alonge with the fact you cant dump your home rubbish in street bins, what ever next!
 
graham

graham

New member
Peter Burgess said:
When local councils start imposing a quota on how many bags they will collect each week, and start charging for any bags over the quota, it might stifle this kind of conservation work. In fact it will probably make things worse with a greater incentive to fly-tip. The council authority at Merstham where I was today have already announced plans to do just that.
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I assume that the stuff has made it into your car, so why not just take it to the tip?
 
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Peter Burgess

New member
I took it home and reduced the number of bags to 1 by separating out the recyclables. I have no idea what Reigate and Banstead's plans are for taking stuff to the tip, but if they are imposing charges to encourage recycling, then I suspect they will also impose a charge on taking stuff to the dump as well. That's just a guess, mind you. I live outside the borough, so its down to another authority to take it away now.
 
gus horsley

gus horsley

New member
I always recycle our domestic rubbish but I got a bollocking off one the collection guys the other day for putting too much weight in the paper bag. I pointed out that I was trying to use less bags but he didn't appreciate my point of view.
 
AndyF

AndyF

New member
Peter Burgess said:
Is it true that in Cornwall, old fridges are recycled, being converted into shaft depth testing devices?
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I thought they used tourists for that.....
 
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darkplaces

Guest
Back to the topic...

Swildons seams clean and in my only two trips so far its very busy, well done to everyone who visits and doesnt drop sweety wrappers.
 
kay

kay

Well-known member
Peter Burgess said:
When local councils start imposing a quota on how many bags they will collect each week, and start charging for any bags over the quota, it might stifle this kind of conservation work. In fact it will probably make things worse with a greater incentive to fly-tip. The council authority at Merstham where I was today have already announced plans to do just that.
Click to expand...

Yep. that's scarey. I wonder whether people really think these ideas through. I know of one borough which has decided to restrict its waste recycling sites to its own ratepayers - sounds on the face of it very sensible. But since said site is on the boundary, and non-ratepayers living just oputside the boundary have the choice of that site or one several miles away, I can't help wondering how many will simply decide not to bother with recycling.
 
kay

kay

Well-known member
graham said:
Peter Burgess said:
When local councils start imposing a quota on how many bags they will collect each week, and start charging for any bags over the quota, it might stifle this kind of conservation work. In fact it will probably make things worse with a greater incentive to fly-tip. The council authority at Merstham where I was today have already announced plans to do just that.
Click to expand...
I assume that the stuff has made it into your car, so why not just take it to the tip?
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It's not just that, it's also that any quota is likley to lead to a lot more fly tipping. OK, I doubt whether people will cart their excess rubbish out into the Dales or wherever, but those of us involved in conservation in urban areas are going to find our job getting harder.
 
gus horsley

gus horsley

New member
AndyF said:
Peter Burgess said:
Is it true that in Cornwall, old fridges are recycled, being converted into shaft depth testing devices?
Click to expand...

I thought they used tourists for that.....
Click to expand...

Well there may be some truth in what you say. In the early 1970's when I was a miner we opened up a shaft near Blackwater. Work stopped when a body was found wrapped up in a carpet. Never found out who she was, but, judging by the design, she'd been there a while.
 
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