Oriel Park litter frustrates Bedfordview resident despite empty bins
Considering all the issues South African citizens are dealing with, one resident appeals for cleaner parks as they are a safe space to destress.
After using Oriel Park for 10 years, it is always upsetting for resident Andrea Altgayer to see the park covered in litter
One such occurrence took place on Valentine’s Day, and as Andrea was taking one of her daily walks the next day, she saw litter everywhere.
Andrea found bottles, takeaway boxes, a vaping cartridge, and used tissues, among other items.
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“I walked around to see if the dustbins around the park were full, and I thought the wind had maybe blown the rubbish. No. There are at least three bins on each side of the park. All of them were empty except for two.
“Every time I picked up a piece of rubbish, I noticed that there was an empty rubbish bin less than two meters away. Whoever left that rubbish could easily have got up and thrown it into the nearest rubbish bin without raising their heart rate! Two meters is not a marathon,” Andrea chided.
The resident referred to the current water supply crisis, which is making it hard to keep anything clean.
She said, “Litter attracts diseases, and none of us needs them at a time when we should be keeping everything as hygienic as possible. Diseases like cholera are not fun.”
Andrea was also concerned for the wildlife in the area, and the dogs whose owners walk them in the park every day.
“They deserve to live, walk and play in clean surroundings. With South Africans dealing with issues such as unemployment and crime, public parks are conducive for our mental and physical health, so users expect them to be clean and well taken care of as a safe space,” she said.
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Andrea, however, extended her gratitude to the Better Bedfordview team and their supervisor, Lucky Mzindle, for working hard and maintaining the park.
She added, “I just wish that some community members would show some respect for our beautiful park and the hard work that the Better Bedfordview team are putting into it.”
Better Bedfordview team member Di Jarvis, who is active and involved in all Better Bedfordview’s work at Oriel Park, said 90% of the litter they pick up is preventable, while the rest comes down the river when big rains flow over the banks.
She said the biggest challenges are the large size of the park, Better Bedfordview’s limited equipment, and funds. Support needed is monthly, reliable monetary donations and the donation of a bigger tractor or mower.
Residents can visit Better Bedfordview’s website for more information on the volunteer-led NPO:
https://betterbedfordview.org.za/ or email info@betterbedfordview.org.za
“With more support and funding, Better Bedfordview could do more to clean up, restore and maintain Bedfordview’s roads, pavements, public spaces and parks, including Oriel Park, which is a green gem in our neighbourhood that we must protect and preserve,” Di said.
