A group of Hackney students urged their fellow residents not to litter as they cleaned Clapton pond earlier this month.
Twenty-five students from BSix College in Clapton joined forces with officials from Hackney Council to clean the pond, sending a message to locals that they cared about the state of their community green areas.
Their discoveries included plastic and glass bottles, paper cups, a range of food packaging and rather more mysteriously, a set of pots, pans and kitchen utensils were fished out from the edge of the pond.
Kaadine Hughes, a 19-year-old student, insisted that prevention was better than cure when it came to littering.
“I see people throwing their rubbish all sorts of places, it’s disgusting. I recently saw someone throw a food container full of their leftovers on a path next to the pond,” he said.
“It’s important to stop people before they litter rather than having to clean it up after.”
Alex Ruddiman, Hackney Council Environmental Operations Health and Safety Manager, said that community-organised events like ‘Clean Clapton Pond’ were essential for young people to develop a sense of civic responsibility.
“Activities like these give people an understanding of their waste and where it goes and shows them how they can have a positive impact on their local environment,” Mr Ruddiman added.
Mr. Ruddiman said the student volunteers showed great commitment.
“There was certainly no lack of enthusiasm, the opposite in fact – the students were a little over-enthusiastic with their tasks,” he said.
Clapton Pond has existed since the 17th century and was restored in 2004 as part of a regeneration project.
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