Cardiff’s popular Victoria Park has been covered with litter again, less than 24 hours after piles of rubbish left by Bank Holiday weekend crowds were cleared up.
Clean-up crews from Cardiff council were spotted in the Canton park on Tuesday morning, picking up discarded food containers, beer bottles and disposable barbecues left behind by the hundreds who flocked to the spot over the weekend to enjoy the sunny weather.
But by Wednesday morning, used nappies, crisp packets and more polystyrene containers were strewn across the grass, while several bins were once again overflowing with rubbish.
Cardiff council has confirmed that the litter has been cleared once again on Wednesday, with the clean-up team working for two and a half hours to tidy up the park.
The park is a popular spot for those living in Canton and across the city, and has attracted hundreds of people in the last week, including many families enjoying the recently reopened splash pad.
But residents are becoming increasingly frustrated at the mess left behind.
What do you think should be done? Let us know in the comments below.
One Victoria Park resident said: “There’s a total disregard for our environment amongst some people in Cardiff, they have behaved disgustingly across Cardiff’s parks this bank holiday weekend and they ought to feel guilty.
"Put simply - if bins are full, take your rubbish home.”
One person wrote on Facebook: “Good morning from Cardiff’s newest tip. Genuinely disgusting scenes in the splash park specifically this morning, rancid nappies and polystyrene containers everywhere.
“What’s the solution here? People won’t use the bins provided; they also won’t take their rubbish home with them.
“Since the splash park has reopened, the park literally gets trashed daily.”
On Tuesday, resident Jane Cook spoke of her disappointment at seeing the much-loved park covered in litter, saying it is “always the same story” when the spot gets busy.
“During lockdown, we saw a massive reduction in the amount of litter being left behind," she said.
"It’s just disappointing that as soon as everyone’s allowed back out again, the park is left like this again.”
“It’s a double-edged sword now - whenever it’s a nice day, I will be happy that the sun’s out, but then I remember that the park is likely to be a tip again.”
“I don’t think having more bins is the answer - it’s a behaviour shift that’s needed," she added.
"But obviously the gulf between somebody who can’t even be bothered to walk to a bin and someone who’s taking everything to the park in reusable containers and taking them home again is so wide that it can sometimes feel a bit hopeless.”
A Cardiff council spokesperson said: “Warm weather naturally brings more visitors to our parks and additional large ‘event’ sized bins have been installed in order to ensure that people have more opportunity to dispose of their litter responsibly.
“Leaving litter behind in our parks and open spaces, ruining them for others, and expecting somebody else to clear up the mess is simply not acceptable.
“People need to take responsibility for their own waste. If the litter bins are full, please take your litter home with you to dispose of correctly.”
