Residents in a neighbourhood in Cardiff have voiced their frustration over the piles of rubbish left on the streets as students leave at the end of term. Some residents have called for action to tackle the issue in Cathays, which they claim happens every year.
Last year, Cathays residents slammed the "disgusting" piles of waste left by university students leaving their houses during the moving out period in June 2022. Photos showed the extent of the litter found on streets such as Brithdir Street, Rhygoes Street and Cathays Terrace in the area.
At the time residents called for an intervention to help alleviate the "frustrating" problem and in response the council said it had been working closely with universities to ensure students disposed of their waste correctly.
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But photos following this year's moving out period has shown that piles of rubbish and furniture left on the streets remain ongoing issues in Cathays. In response, a spokesperson for Cardiff Council said that the council's waste management and street cleansing teams were continuing to work in the Cathays and Plasnewydd areas, and were cleaning and clearing the streets as students left the city for their summer holidays.
On Monday morning, July 3, images showed piles of plastic bags filled with waste scattered on pavements as well as an abandoned mattress and sofa on another. However, council workers were also seen out collecting items off the street.
On Twitter, Cathays resident Ceri said: "Every year student letting contracts end on 30th June. It’s predictable. We know what happens. And it’s understandable.
"They have to leave the house. So why can’t councils be proactive. Prepare. Put teams out after. Can Keep Wales Tidy / Keep Britain Tidy not do a campaign?"
Other people agreed and said that better education on how to remove waste and recycle correctly was needed, with some calling for cooperation by landlords as well as the council. In response, Cardiff Council said it had provided additional facilities until the waste and litter had been cleared from the area.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the council said: "Cardiff's waste management and street cleansing teams are continuing to work in Cathays & Plasnewydd to clean and clear the streets as students leave the city for their summer holidays.
"Additional facilities have been provided during the student move out and these will continue until the waste and litter have been cleared. As with every other city in the UK with a large student population, there will be an element of disruption while this takes place.
"Landlords are being reminded that they are responsible for any waste that is left at a rented property that can't be collected as part of the kerbside waste collection service. Please dispose of this waste responsibly, as a landlord it is your responsibility."
Keep Wales Tidy said that they had found that rubbish left on the streets of Cardiff when students leave was an annual issue. A spokesperson said: "Yet again we find ourselves having to comment on the selfish behaviour of a small number of people who have acted without thinking about the wider community and their impact on it.
"To say that it is hugely disappointing is an understatement. Keep Wales Tidy and other likeminded organisations and groups are making a positive difference to people’s understanding of the need to take responsibility for the litter that they create, but there is clearly a long way to go.
"Litter and the quality of the local environment is at the core of the work that we do every day. Three years ago, we launched our Caru Cymru programme in partnership with all of the local authorities across Wales to put a new focus on our work to eradicate litter and waste - Caru Cymru - Keep Wales Tidy - Caru Cymru.
"Within this programme we have been creating campaigns to change the behaviours of those who litter including a fly-tipping campaign aimed at students (and other householders) Fly-tipping - Keep Wales Tidy - Caru Cymru and our wider making memories campaign designed to get people to take responsibility for their litter Make Memories Not Mess | Business Wales (gov.wales) which we will be re-launching this summer.
"We also work with an army of volunteers and organisations to manage the litter left on our streets and in our parks, and over the past year our work has made a big difference across Wales, as you can see from our impact report which you can read as both a national and regional report Keep Wales Tidy Impact Report - Keep Wales Tidy."
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