SWANSEA Council has issued the plea in the countdown to the school summer holidays when more people are expected to be out and about, enjoying the city’s beaches, parks and other green spaces.
For the busy summer months the Council has been stepping-up beach litter collections and increasing the number of bins available.
Extra staff have been drafted in and will be on patrol later into the evening at littering hotspots, clearing waste and handing out litter collection bags to groups on evenings out.
The Council has introduced 15 red bins so people can dispose of their BBQ waste safely at its busiest beaches. It is also replacing old and defective litter and dog bins around the city with new multipurpose bins that take both general litter and dog waste.
Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said the Council is playing its part to keep beaches and parks clean when many thousands head for the Swansea and Gower seaside this summer.
He said: “We are doing our bit, visitors need play their part as well. Anyone who thinks that it’s OK to bury glass bottles, BBQs or any other waste in the sand at the end of a day out is simply wrong.
“BBQs in particular retain their heat for hours afterwards and young children accidentally stepping on them can cause terrible burns.
“Our most popular beaches – including Caswell, Port Eynon, Langland and Swansea Bay – now have special BBQ bins where people can safely dispose of them.
“The feedback we’re getting is that many people are using them. But everyone needs to do it if they want to keep others safe.
“The Council does not dump litter on beaches or in parks, people do. They do it because either they don’t care or because they can’t be bothered to do the right thing.
“If you’re at the beach and you see the bins are full, take your rubbish home with you instead. If you see one of our litter team picking up the waste, ask them for a bag of your own. They’ll be happy to share.”
Over the summer period Council staff clear beaches of litter and waste every morning and re-visit periodically during the day.
