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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment

A novel way to get rid of all our unwanted stuff

Furniture On Street Outside House
‘Recycling is a cause for reward and celebration, not fines.’ Photograph: M9K/Shutterstock

Twenty-five years ago, when I lived in Barcelona, it had a brilliant scheme for getting rid of unwanted articles (Councils in England to get revised guidance on ‘middle-class fly-tipping’, 22 September). Each barrio had one night every month when you could put your stuff out on the pavement – first to be picked over by your neighbours, then by people coming back from a night out, when you invariably picked up something you didn’t want, and then the professional pickers with vans. In the early hours, the pavement would be cleared by binmen and washed by the nightly cleaners – job done.

The answer is to have only one night in each area, which is well known so people visit especially for it. Recycling is a cause for reward and celebration, not fines. And for goodness sake, leave class out of it.
Jane Swan
Delabole, Cornwall

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