But why should this mess be inevitable?
In Harnham, the closure of the Old Mill during the pandemic seems to have worsened the problem as instead of buying drinks in the pub, picnickers cart their own bottles from home down to the riverside and abandon the empties by the overflowing bins.
Result: Mounds of unsavoury detritus piling up along the water's edge and creating a health hazard to children and dogs who just want to splash around and cool down.
One dog walker I bumped into there this morning had brought a carrier bag with him to fill with empty glass bottles - some of them broken, with jagged edges which could slice open a paddling kiddie's ankle or a dog's paw, as well as injure wildlife - and he then carted them back to his own home to dispose of safely. Amazingly public-spirited, but he shouldn't have to do it. Another waded into the water to pull out a plastic garden chair.
If people can carry a bottle to the park, why can't they carry it home again and put it in their own bin? After all, it will be considerably lighter on the return journey once they've quaffed the contents.
Answer: They are too lazy, and they think 'the council' will come and clear up after them.
Trouble is, 'the council' has limited manpower at present, with staff off sick or self-isolating, like any other employer, as one elected member I nagged about it later told me.
He's promised to raise the issue at the Guildhall tomorrow, and I hope some good will come of it.
But it's not just a problem during the pandemic, actually. It happens every time we have a sunny spell. The city council needs to have a system in place that allows its bin-emptying service to respond more speedily to changes in demand.
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