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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

I saw a programme the other day where on-the-spot fines were being issued to people dropping cigarette butts in another town ( I can't remember where). Suddenly I find myself noticing people doing this ALL THE TIME, even people who probably wouldn't dream of dropping an empty can or sandwich wrapper on the street. They especially do it at bus stops despite the clever little bins on lampposts for the purpose of extinguishing your cigarette - and you can see the evidence all over the pavements.

Apparently you can be fined £75 in Haringey for dropping any kind of litter, and this is certainly a filthy habit we could do without - cigarette butts are not biodegradeable and often find their way into the drains and thence into the sea. I reckon an enforcement officer could clean up pretty quickly and probably earn back their own salary just standing at our local bus stop all day.

Tags for Forum Posts: litter

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It's completely about the smoke and chuck culture - people genuinely don't consider they are littering.

I remember once at a party we had, a young guest I was talking to dropped his cigarette end and ground it out on my kitchen floor in front of me!

Yes, it's litter, not nice and all the rest. But why harp on about this when other places look knee deep in other kinds of litter? I guess, it's a little bit of the I'm not a smoker, so I'll complain.

I would suggest that everyone, first of all, concentrate on the bigger litter issue and when that is solved, then is the time to worry about the fag end sideshow.

But I am a smoker. It's the other 'couldn't give a damn' ones that annoy me.

Every little helps as they say. The teachers and helpers at this school opposite me come outside for a smoke. They also toss their stubbs into the gutter. A bit hypocritical when they are supposed to be teaching our children to care about the environment.

Dog poo was (and still is in some places) a big issue. So is fast food litter. We can find many examples of specific types of litter about that sometimes on their own don't seem to be such a big deal but just take a look at the size of the full bags that the road sweepers leave out for collection. It all adds up. 

I thinks it's about cumulative impact Stephen. One fag end on its own doesn't mean that much but when it's there with all the other detritus it makes a place look uncared for, attracting more litter and the cycle just grows and grows.

Yep the rest of the litter - mostly food wrappings - is also annoying.  But it does get swept up, even if it's down to once a week (in a good month).  The fagends get missed because they are too small to get swept, and because they get jammed into cracks.  The most diligent litter-sweeper can't get all of them even with those picky-uppy stick grab things. So it is up to the smokers to get just a bit more social. Or get fined.

A few years ago I was part of Haringeys Community Wardens project. Our 'job' was to report litter, dumping etc and if possible (and safe) educate those responsible. 

At one of the presentations I attended they (Haringey) were giving out free pocket ashtrays. I'd never seen that type before. Perhaps if they were prominently displayed for sale, (and they are reusable), at the same time and in the same place where ciggys are sold, I'm sure that quite a few more smokers might be persuaded to use them.

These are the type that I use now:- http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_sacat=0&_nkw=st...  There wouldn't be any P&P if they were sold direct from the shops.

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