Help us keep city spic and span

Swansea Council has been doing its bit, having drafted in more cleansing staff for the summer and increasing evening patrols to deal with littering hotspots at beaches and parks.

But residents can play their part too by not littering in the first place or by organising community tidy-ups with equipment supplied by the council which can be picked up from local libraries.

Over the last year alone Caru Cymru report that its Litter Champion initiative has seen clean-ups at 164 locations around Swansea, with its volunteers dedicating more than 3,900 hours to keeping their communities tidy.

Cyril Anderson, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said over the past nine months more than 400 new bins have been installed to replace existing bins in parks, streets and at beaches as part of a range of measures that will improve bin provision and help deal with litter and dog waste.

Out-dated dog waste bins are being replaced by larger bins that can accommodate litter and dog waste as part of the Council's promise to create a cleaner environment for everyone and to encourage residents to take pride in their community.

He said: "We've got 13 litter picking hubs around the city, based mainly at our libraries from where residents can get equipment and advice about how to do their bit to help keep their local area clean.

"I'd like to thank all those volunteers who are doing a fantastic job in their community already. If you're not part of the solution yet, I'd urge you to get involved - you won't be alone."

Cllr Anderson added: "We also work closely with Caru Cymru - Keep Wales Tidy - to support their local network of Litter Champions. It's a way for people with a passion for their community to get together and make a difference."

He said: "Swansea Council plays its part in keeping communities clean. Apart from investment in our network of around 2,000 litter and dog bins in communities all over Swansea, we're also increasing the size of our litter picking teams for the summer and targeting hotspots with more bins and extra collections.

"Our Cleansing teams litter-pick our beaches first thing every morning and revisit throughout the day. We also hand out bags to beach-goers to encourage them to do the right thing and dispose of their waste responsibly"

He added: "Over the last eight months we've also been working with ward members, Caru Cymru and local residents to survey existing litter and dog bin locations to assess their use, condition and look at whether they need replacement."

So far surveys and bin upgrades have been completed in 24 wards. Work continues in the remaining wards and is expected to be completed in the coming months.

If you want to organise a summer litter pick in your area go to this link to find your nearest volunteer litter-picking hub:

https://www.swansea.gov.uk/article/7833/Volunteer-litter-picking