Super star Emily is definitely on the nice list, this Christmas as this young lady has been going the extra mile to ensure that Rhondda Cynon Taf is litter free!
Emily has shone like a true Christmas Recycling Star and as a special thank you for her sparkling efforts, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and Santa Claus are rewarding her and her family by inviting them to visit him at the Santa’s Toy Mine at the Welsh Mining Experience, Rhondda.
Emily, who is just three years old, from Llanharry was left saddened when she went to her local park and was surrounded by empty bottles, crisp packets and general litter. Emily asked her mum and dad why all the items were littered in the park and why people weren’t using the bins? They explained that some people are litter bugs and don’t use the bins, which is awful and leaves the area dirty and sometimes dangerous.
Emily decided that she was going to take action to ensure that her local area was clean and tidy for her and her friends to safely play. Emily asked her parents if they could clean up the area next time they came? From that moment on, Emily always takes her hi-vis jacket, litter picker, gloves and an empty bag, ready to clean up after the naughty litter bugs!
Sian, Emily’s mum recently contacted the Council to see where she could dispose of the extra waste that they were collecting – and Emily now has a direct contact in the Streetcare cleansing team and North Pole, who are on standby to assist her after her litter picks.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Cabinet Member for Environment and Leisure, said:
“What a shining star Emily is! It’s so lovely to hear that someone so young is taking action to combat litter bugs in our community! It’s definitely something Emily shouldn’t have to do, and she is certainly showing her elders up, by cleaning up their dirty mess! Well done Emily and well-done mum, Sian, you must be very proud of her. Keep up the great work!
“As a Council we spend millions of pounds clearing up after litter bugs – money that could be better spent on key front-line services!
“There are over 2100 litter bins across RCT, 600 of these are in the 102 parks across the County Borough – that’s an average of 6 bins in each park. The Streetcare team collect 8000 bags filled with litter every week! Litter isn’t just unsightly, its harmful for our local wildlife and has a big effect on how we feel about where we live. The clean-up operations that the Council undertake cost millions and are huge – most of it could be avoided if the litter bugs took their litter home with them or simply used the bins provided. I think we should all follow our Star, Emily this Christmas and clean up our own messes – what a shining example!”
All the litter collected from the bins and by the Streetcare team is sorted and recycled where possible in Ty Amgen Recycling Centre, Llwydcoed. The average Streetcare litter picking operative, walks around 40 miles a week – that’s equivalent to 90,000 steps!
In July 2023 the Council changed its black bag and bin collection frequency to 3 weekly in a bid to increase recycling rates, reduce black bag waste and lower its overall carbon footprint – to help fight climate change! By ensuring that all the litter the team collects is recycled we are further helping hit the target and fighting against climate change.
This Christmas, the Council’s recycling campaign is all about the ‘Star Recyclers’ in RCT because its thanks to the support of our ‘Star Recyclers’ the Council can report that early indications show that we are reaching for the stars, hitting the target and UPing Our GAME when it comes to recycling!
With Christmas around the corner, the Council is encouraging residents to think green and make sure we recycle any extra waste that we might get in our Clear recycling bags and food waste caddies.
Recycling and waste collections will changes over the festive period, so don’t forget to check when you need to put your items out for collection or book in your real Christmas tree in for kerbside collection at www.rctcbc.gov.uk/ChristmasRecycling
