Easily Avoidable Litter Problem in World Heritage Site

More and more people bring to our attention the increase in litter, with obvious detrimental consequences, at the picnic sites at the St Lucia and Cape Vidal beaches, as well as in town. How is this possible, given the number of readily available rubbish bins at all of the above locations? St Lucia News investigated and discovered that the littering is down to four separate problems, for which there are apparently simple solutions:



1. Regarding the permanent bins on St Lucia's main road, we found no rubbish bags in the bins, making it very difficult for them to be completely emptied. In fact, we came across a Municipal employee removing garbage from the bin by hand and placing it in a plastic bag to be collected later. Upon interviewing the individual concerned, he informed us that he was instructed to not place bags in the empty bins as there was no way to keep it in place. Surely there are a number of ways, such as a simple elastic, to secure the top of the bag around the top of the bin?

2. Regarding the bins at the St Lucia beaches, they have both plastic bags and heavy animal-proof lids, but are simply not being used. St Lucia News visited the beaches in the morning and found that despite none of the bins being full, visitors to Jabula Beach had simply discarded their refuse all over the parking area and grassy picnic spots, rather than in the many easily accessible and relatively new bins. A simple solution could be the presence of Town Security or SAPS at the beaches in the evenings to both instruct visitors on the use of rubbish bins and to enforce the well publicised "no drinking in public" by-law as most of the litter appeared to be alcoholic beverage containers.

Litter surrounding empty bin at Jabula Beach

Car park with broken bottles etc.

Jabula Beach picnic area strewn with alcoholic beverage containers

3. The bins at the Cape Vidal picnic areas are well appointed and fitted with the same heavy animal-proof lids as at the St Lucia beaches but have had their lids bent permanently open, leaving scavengers such as Vervet and Samango Monkeys, Banded Mongooses and all sorts of nocturnal animals to raid the bins, distributing the contents in the surrounding area. The most obvious solution is to leave the lids to operate as the manufacturer intended.

Beach bins without lids, admittedly taken during fishing competition

4. The bins at Cape Vidal beach simply lack lids, resulting in the same problem as 3 above. The most obvious solution would be to fit these bins with the same heavy animal-proof lids as at the picnic areas and St Lucia beaches but without bending them permanently open so that they may serve their intended purpose.

Picnic site bin with lid bent permanently open

The most amazing outcome of the investigation is the fact that the only cost in implementing all of the above solutions would be the fitting of four rubbish bin lids at Cape Vidal beach. Apart from reposting a few members of the SAPS or Town Security who seem to hang out in large numbers in the same areas of town, the other solutions simply require common sense by those in charge of the maintenance of the sites in question. Any suggestions as to who can be contacted regarding our solutions are welcome.