Sorry to say, but it's all rubbish. This week, new figures came out for the cost of clearing up fly-tipping in London: an increase of £3 million from the previous year to £19,785,484, with 588,432 incidents dealt with by local authorities. My own borough, Kensington & Chelsea, had the second-highest bill of £2.5 million.
This is because there are almost no wheelie bins in the borough, few gardens to hold a bin and rubbish is collected just twice a week. I know this sounds like a luxury to those in the countryside, where once a week is the norm. But if you live in a small town flat, a bin full of a fridge clearout or a dinner party's leftovers sits there getting warmer and smellier until the next collection day. No wonder there are ongoing problems with mice infestations. Why can there not be large holding bins (like the big recycling bins that supermarkets have in the car parks) where we can at least dump rubbish if we can't wait until the garbage truck comes round again? This would greatly lessen the temptation to put household rubbish in street bins or even contribute to the escalating fly-tipping.
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Dawn Chorus: A Blue Plaque for Marc Bolan, holidaying in the Caribbean with Francis Ford Coppola and a history of the National Gallery in 25 picturesPlus the best of the property pages, and how the railways will save the countryside.
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Game, set, match: 12 of the world’s most beautiful tennis courtsFrom Italy to Indonesia, when it comes to hotel amenities, a picturesque tennis court will always trump a 24-hour gym. So, before you book your next holiday, take a look at our pick of the 12 best.
