Apr 22 2010
Clean up and be rewarded with a bacon roll (terms and conditions apply)
On Saturday afternoon I felt pretty crap with a cold but we went out to Pilrig Park just behind the flat to take part in the Pilrig Park Clean-up organised by Greener Leith.
We were given latex gloves and those trigger-operated litter pickers and as many black plastic bags as we could hope to have a use for, and went forth to clean up the park. This was our first time on a clean-up so we’ve learned a few things:
- It’s not a very sociable job as there’s generally several hundred metres between you and the nearest person. I wouldn’t say bringing an MP3 player was a bad idea
- Holding open a black plastic bag in a windy open field is quite tricky. I wonder how we might improvise some kind of hoop or holder to keep the neck of the bin bag open.
- The rich pickings are to be found in the perimeters of the park, amongst the trees and bushes.
- Glass bottles are a pain because they’re so heavy. Something like a wheelbarrow to cart them to the nearest recycling spot would have been great.
And yesterday Greener Leith organised a Leith Commuter Breakfast with free bacon rolls and bike tune-ups for people who commute in Leith on bike or foot. There was a lot of passing trade — many people cycle along the Water of Leith and were drawn in by cries of “free bacon roll!”.
I’m very grateful to Greener Leith for being so active and coming up with new ideas to bring people together. If you’re local have a look at their website and maybe join their social network.