Locals urge students to leave Leamington tidy

Leamington residents urge students not to leave all of their rubbish on the streets when they leave for the summer holidays, according to the Leamington Observer.

Warwick District Council are sending out ‘moving out packs’ to around 500 student residences in the area telling them of the different ways that their rubbish can be disposed of.

Warwick Students’ Union is running a campaign on its website called ‘Leave Leam Tidy’, which also outlines the ways in which students can get rid of their rubbish.

It includes a moving out guide which offers information on what to do with bulky items, with suggestions to take as much as possible to charity shops.

The guide also suggests how to get deposits back and what to check before leaving the house.
In areas with the highest student population around Clemens Street and George Street, there will be five extra textile and bric-a-brac collections.

A spokesperson for the council remarked: “We are encouraging residents to dispose of their household waste using their usual doorstep services and as such we are not organising or promoting any additional collections of non-recyclable waste this year.”

A resident of Tachbrook Road told the Boar that he thought landlords should be taking more responsibility for the issue than they currently are.

He said: “While students leaving rubbish piled outside their houses has been a problem in the past, ultimately I think the majority of the blame lies with the landlords.

“They are running businesses, businesses that are making lots of money, and they can afford an external agency to get rid of the rubbish themselves.”

He added: “I think landlords should have a greater, more positive and more active role in the disposal of waste when students leave.”

Alice Dodden, second-year French and History student, commented: “We don’t have a lot of rubbish in our house as we’ve been throwing things out all year.

“I understand why the council are urging students to get rid of their rubbish, because there will undoubtedly be a massive influx of rubbish in the next fortnight, especially with all of the cans and bottles from post-exam drinking.

“It’s something they need to deal with as a town council – they’re here to deal with the needs of the people in the town.”

Another student who lives in Leamington said: “To be honest, we’ve been fairly lazy with recycling all year. If there’s an overflowing recycling box and an empty rubbish bin, then we’ll chuck recyclables in the bin.

“I’m fairly sure 99 percent of students are smart enough to work out how to throw their rubbish out – the majority of these leaflets will probably end up, ironically, being thrown straight into the bin!”