Two new waste bins will give Bristolians the chance to vote on hot topics using their litter.
Visitors to Bristol Harbourside will be able to have their say on one of two debates by putting their rubbish into one side of a segmented mixed litter bin from Wednesday (March 30). The two bins pose the questions: ‘Full English Breakfast or Roast Dinner?’ ‘Daps or Plimsolls?’
The bins are part of a litter reduction campaign, run by Sustainable Hive and environmental charity Hubbub, who have combined forces with Bristol Waste to prevent litter from entering the city’s waterways. They have appeared near the SS Great Britain and the Broad Quay Fountains in the city centre to encourage people to dispose of their waste properly.
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More than eight million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea each year and 80 per cent of that figure makes its way to the ocean through our rivers and waterways. The hotter weather often encourages swathes of litter left behind as people flock to the harbourside among other popular areas. Last year, residents of the harbourside were horrified at the mess left behind and took pictures of overflowing bins and rubbish left strewn across public areas.
A spokesperson for Bristol Waste confirmed to Bristol Live that these new bins are mixed litter bins, and therefore will be sorted as refuse. Those with recyclables are still encouraged to find a suitable mixed recycling bin - including the For Cup's Sake bins - or to take them home to sort.
Tony Lawless, Managing Director of Bristol Waste, said: “Keeping Bristol clean and green is at the heart of what we do, and the waterways are at the heart of our city. We hope visitors to the harbourside get on board with this fantastic project, which makes disposing of your litter not just easy, but fun and engaging too.”
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Hubbub has donated the ballot bins as part of the campaign called Treasure Your River. Between May and October 2021, a total of 84 pirate-themed litter events took place around the UK to help remove litter from our waterways and rivers, home to water wildlife and the newly discovered South Bristol otters. This included plastic fishing trips in Bristol’s very own boat made from recycled plastic, the Seacycler. To measure the campaign’s success, The Rivers Trust will independently assess the impact and share the data with the Marine Conservation Society.
Click here if you cannot see the survey above
Gavin Ellis, Director and Co-founder of Hubbub, added: “Treasure Your River aims to help people make the connection between litter in our towns and cities and plastic in the oceans. We hope to create a legacy for each river taking part in the campaign, by building an army of regular volunteers, litter-clearing equipment and improved ‘binfrastructure’ in towns and cities across the six chosen rivers.”
Hubbub’s Ballot Bins have been found to cut litter by 46 per cent in some locations across the UK. After launching at the harbourside the bins will be moved around Bristol and can pop up anywhere - get in touch with Bristol Waste if you have any thoughts about where they should go next.
If you'd like to continue the conversation please head over to our environment Facebook group Planet Bristol here
