Sheffield experiencing high levels of litter after backlog

Author: Ashley Curtis - 05 February 2013

Sheffield Council and its associated contractor have apologised for the surge in litter across some areas of the city, pledging to clean it up after a bins backlog is cleared.

Reported by thestar.com, a number of plastic bottles, bits of broken glass and overspilled food are 'blighting' residential areas of the city as rubbish bags are kicked or toppled over due to the harsh weather.

Waste contractor Veolia continues to work to clear a backlog of up to 60,000 collections after the snow last week and strong winds this week, hence the large amount of waste being strewn across areas of Sheffield.

If the litter problem continues, it could prompt authorities to consider the installation of more outdoor litter bins in a bid to reduce the amount of rubbish on Sheffield's streets.

A council spokesman said if residents see any spilled rubbish or litter on their streets, the area should be reported for cleaning.

He added: "Veolia have got to pick up any rubbish that falls as they collect a bin, but if there's any other rubbish on the roads residents need to report that to the customer service centre of Streets Ahead and that will be picked up."

The contractor has apologised for any ongoing inconvenience and has sent out extra crews and vehicles to deal with the backlog.

Sheffield isn't the only place in Britain experiencing litter woes. Further south, a decision has been made by London's Kensington and Chelsea Council to remove some rubbish bins on pavements as they can bizarrely attract "more rubbish", reports telegraph.co.uk.