I recently wrote about Bigbelly bins and how they can fit up to 8 times the rubbish and send a message when they need to be emptied. I illustrated the post with a picture of a local bin that was overflowing, which I snapped just before Christmas. I photographed the same bin this morning, in an even worse state than previously … contrast that with a Bigbelly bin in Bath.
It is frustrating to see sights like this. Not only does it look disgusting (yes, that’s a pile of dog poo bags), but the message that it sends undermines everything that we and other anti-litter groups are trying to do. It says: “Rubbish doesn’t matter.” It says: “In the bin? Out of the bin? Who cares!” It says: “Why bother?”
The crazy thing is that compared to littering in general, this should be a relatively easy problem to solve. Bigbelly bins are one potential, albeit pricey, solution. A larger standard bin is another. Emptying the bin on a regular basis is a third. However, I have a suspicion that the easy option may be employed: carry on as usual or remove the bin entirely. Watch this space as the saga continues.