Volunteer Litter Picker Uses Mobile App To Make Torfaen Cleaner And Greener
A volunteer from Pontypool is using Torfaen council’s mobile app in his war on litter.
Ron Ford, 66, of Griffithstown, is a volunteer Litter Champion for Keep Wales Tidy and regularly litter picks across the borough.
Now he is using the council’s mobile app to arrange for litter to be cleared quickly, highlight problem areas, and report fly tipping.
Mr Ford said: “I can’t stand litter. We live in a fabulous area that is being spoiled by a minority of people who don’t care about anyone other than themselves.
“The council has a difficult job trying to keep the borough clean and now that I am retired I feel it is important to put something back into the community.
“The app is a great tool – when I have finished a litter pick I take a photo of the bags and send the location to the council via the app, and they usually come and collect it the same day. If I come across fly tipping or any hazardous waste that I can’t collect then I can report that too.”
Mr Ford has been litter picking for many years, but started doing it regularly when he retired four years ago. He usually goes out once or twice a week on his own, and also supports events organised by community groups, Keep Wales Tidy and the council.
Cllr John Cunningham, executive member for neighbourhoods at Torfaen council, said:
“Volunteers like Ron, who give up their own time to improve the local environment for their community, are a real credit to Torfaen.
“We are committed to tackling the blight of litter and fly tipping in our communities, and have invested in our front line street scene teams to make Torfaen a cleaner, greener borough.
“However, we can’t be everywhere all the time, and the app is an easy way for people to report litter and fly tipping to us. By downloading it to a smart phone or tablet the public can be our eyes and ears, and help us tackle this blight to our communities.”
Spotted something? Got a story? Email News@News.Wales
