Gas canisters and frozen nappy found by roadside

A FROZEN nappy and nitrous oxide canisters were among items collected during Keep Caversham Tidy’s first litter pick of the year on Saturday morning.

They were among 19 small bags and seven large bags of litter cleaned up from Amersham Road and the area surrounding the Weller Centre.

Ten volunteers, including pick leader Marian, braved -2C temperatures to clean the area of cigarette butts, food packaging and a “lonely” shoe.

Marian said the
13 nitrous oxide canisters collected was the most she had seen in one morning.

She said: “It’s not unusual for us to collect four or five but 13, that’s quite a lot. I’m assuming it’s because it’s close to Christmas and New Year.

“It’s good to see so many volunteers coming up, it can vary between six and 20, so getting 10 on the first day of the year when it’s really cold, that’s a good number.

“A few of the hardcore pickers were here as well.”

She added: “I like being outdoors and I feel as though I’m contributing, but it’s quite a peaceful thing to do. It’s social, but there is no pressure to engage if people don’t want to chat.”

Marcus Troth is a volunteer who joined more than a year ago. He said his most unusual find on a litter pick has been a three-piece sofa set found in a woodland area.

He said: “I saw it advertised and I thought it would do good for my local area but I actually enjoy it. I enjoy the exercise and it’s nice to get out in all sorts of weather. They’re a lovely group and I look forward to it. I usually try to come most weeks, you can’t come every week because things do crop up but I do now and again.”

The group meets each Saturday at alternating locations spanning from just south of the Thames to the northern edge of Caversham for an hour and a half.

Volunteers are supplied with high-vis jackets, gloves, litter pickers and bags, some of which are supplied through Reading Borough Council’s “adopt your street” initiative.

The bags of litter are left at a roadside location which is shared with the council to inform bin collectors. Fly-tipping is not collected and is reported to the council.

The group was set up by Jacopo Lanzoni, who organised the initiative with a group of friends at the start of the covid pandemic.