Cardiff streets left covered in rubbish as students move out for the summer

Bags of rubbish have been plaguing the streets of the Cathays area of Cardiff as students leave the neighbourhood at the end of the academic year. Litter and furniture left on the streets are a regular feature of the summer holiday period, with problems also being reported in previous years.

Photos taken on Monday, June 24 and Tuesday, June 25 show torn-open plastic bags leaving rubbish including razors and food waste spilling out over the street. Sofas, chairs and a fridge could also been seen at the side of the pavement on Cathays Terrace, alongside large pieces of wood with bolts sticking out.

Student and Cathays resident Charlotte Wright, 24, spoke of her disgust about the rubbish strewn over the streets and claimed that a lack of opportunities to dispose of black bin bags of general waste was a key cause. She said: "This week I feel like a lot of students down my road have just been putting all of their rubbish out no matter what it is so seagulls are ripping up the bags. The rubbish is all being strewn everywhere… it really smells today, the street is filthy."

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During the student move out period, Cardiff Council has organised additional collections and street cleansing operations, while a recycling van has also been visiting student areas to help students recycle. Council officers have also been knocking on doors to give advice on how to dispose of rubbish correctly.

However, Charlotte added that ripped food waste bags, including egg shells and vegetables seen on Wednesday, June 26, mean that "there are flies everywhere". She said: "It's just vile, people have no consideration." The photo below was taken after there had been a waste collection in the morning, but council street cleaning teams have since been out to deal with the mess. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here.

Charlotte also sympathised with residents who are left to deal with the mess after students move out each year. “It’s just dirty and it really does smell outside so it’s just not a place you would want to live in. Obviously once the students go, the residents are left to deal with such a messy area.

“It’s certain people that kind of ruin it for the rest of us and then we [students] get a bad rep and it’s actually not all of us, it’s only certain people. They clearly just don’t care because they think they’re not going to get caught fly tipping."

Charlotte claimed that depsite additional collections, there are still not enough opportunities to dispose of general waste. A 'one-off additional waste collection' can be booked on the Council's website and costs a minimum of £25, which Charlotte says "students are not going to pay".

She thinks the council should add another general waste collection towards the end of tenancies. "If they came round and offered another collection, I do think people would take it. It’s all well and good doing the donation thing but you can’t just give them your bin bags and that is what people have a lot of when they are moving out.”

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “As term ends for the summer the council works closely with the universities to remind students that they have a responsibility to respect their neighbours and their neighbourhood when moving out.

“We know there will be a lot of waste and recycling generated which is why we set up additional collections and street cleansing operations in student areas at this time of the year. We also have a recycling van visit student areas to help students recycle, and we have council officers knock on doors to give advice, and to remind students and landlords that if waste is not presented correctly, or is left to build up in the fronts of properties, enforcement action could be taken.

“We want to take this opportunity to remind people and students not to put food waste into rubbish bags. Birds or animals scavenging for food will open bags if this happens, creating litter on our streets. Please put your food waste into the caddies provided by the council for food waste.”

A spokesperson continued: “Any commercial waste collections carried out by private companies are not the responsibility of the council. Everyone needs to take responsibility for their own waste and litter and to dispose of it correctly.”