Outraged resident shares disturbing image of community walking path: 'I've reported it twice and nothing's been done'

When waste is illegally dumped, nature — and local communities — pay the price. One person from the U.K. documented how a collection of discarded trash has made a local footpath less than welcoming to those visiting a popular river.

In a Reddit post, the Bristol resident posted photos of the "eyesore" on the river's footpath — a large pile of garbage including overflowing trash bags, empty cans, broken plastic lawn chairs, and even a child's rocking horse. They highlighted the instance as "fly-tipping," a British term for illegal trash dumping.

"It's clear that some individuals feel entitled to dispose of their cheap, disposable consumer goods without regard for the environment," the poster wrote, adding that the dumped items have been there for weeks.

Some commenters said they weren't surprised to see illegal dumping given the costs of using local dumps and recycling centers.

"The problem is the increased difficulty of disposing rubbish," one commenter wrote. "It's becoming more restrictive and expensive to take rubbish to the tip these days. I'm not condoning or excusing fly-tipping whatsoever — just not surprised it's getting worse."

"This is so infuriating," another simply added.

While the prohibitive cost of proper garbage removal deserves to be noted, it doesn't excuse harming the environment with trash. Access to nature is a privilege — especially considering how much of our natural environment has already been destroyed by development and pollution. When interacting with nature, we should strive to leave the environment as good as we found it — or better.

In this particular case, the illegal trash dumping was likely done by locals, showing natural environments aren't solely harmed by outsiders. While it's easy to take local areas for granted, it's important to act as a temporary visitor to all of nature, even if you live locally.

A key part of our collective responsibility to nature is managing our waste. Leave No Trace advises those spending time in nature to "pack it in, pack it out." Simply put, if you bring it into the environment, take it with you when you leave.

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas 🫤 Not really 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

But not everyone takes this environmental adage seriously, leading to issues like the garbage pile in Bristol. To address the problem, it's often effective to reach out to city or town sanitation officials. However, some commenters on the Reddit post report that they've had trouble getting city officials to do anything about illegal dumping.

"One of my neighbors dumps any waste on a footpath directly outside their house," one commenter wrote. "It's been reported to the council numerous times, and it's just occasionally collected — nothing is ever done about them doing it."

"I've reported fly-tipping outside my house twice and nothing's been done," another commenter added. "It's bending our fence."

It's important to hold officials accountable for keeping nature clean and providing adequate, safe areas for trash disposal. If local authorities are unresponsive to persistent reporting, consider contacting environmental agencies — and follow up consistently.

Organizing a community clean-up can also make an immediate impact, fostering local pride and encouraging others to take responsibility. Additionally, you can petition for better waste disposal infrastructure and collaborate with local nonprofits to help create long-term solutions to illegal dumping.

Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.