Community members, taking part last Sunday in a litter pick organised by the local Green Party in Brimscombe and Thrupp, gathered over 10 bags of rubbish from along the A419.
At first, when more than 20 volunteers turned up, organisers Isa Clee and Gavin McClafferty thought there would not be enough rubbish to keep everyone busy. But as teams set out along the road verges, it quickly became clear the undergrowth was full of plastic waste and other litter.
Isa explained: “We filled over 10 bags with waste. A lot of it was food wrappings thrown away, and blown into the hedges and verges. All the small bits of plastic and food wrappers can get into the soil, and they never break down.”
District Councillor for Brimbscombe and Thrupp Martin Whiteside said: “Thank you to everyone who gave up their Sunday morning to help clean up all this litter. A lot of the waste that ends up in the verges could be recycled. Cans and bottles can go in household recycling, and crisp packets can now be recycled at certain locations like Stroud Valleys Project.”
County Councillor Rachel Smith added: “We want the grass verges along these roads to be a corridor of wildflowers, not of rubbish. It’s great to be able to work with the community to take simple practical action to improve our area.”
Martin Whiteside adds “The Green Party are hoping to organise another community litter pick later in the year. Drop us an Email if you want to help – whiteside@gn.apc.org“.