*Rubbish strewn around an overflowing litter bin in Trent Park*

Rsaal Firoz wants to see Enfield Council – as well as local residents – do more to reduce litter

It was a morning in early July when I was running through Trent Park, and I noticed an abnormal amount of rubbish piled up next to overflowing bins, with plastic, partially eaten meals and an assortment of other waste spilling out on to the central path, near the lake.

I disregarded it as being an isolated occurrence and quickly moved on. The next day, however, there were new mounds of polluting rubbish in the place of the waste from yesterday. This time, I photographed the mess and reported it via the Enfield Council website.

Over the following few weeks, this inconsiderate rubbish dumping became a common occurrence, to a point where I’d hardly be surprised to run past plastic waste, blending in with the natural environment, as if it were some unalterable reality; a permanent feature of the park. This should not at all be the case.

Trent Country Park is a heritage site, with its origins dating back as far as 1066. Over the centuries, it has changed hands various times, and is now under the ownership of the local community. Surely it is our responsibility as Enfieldians to respect the natural value of this magnificent park we have inherited, and to not use it as a dumping place for rubbish which we could quite easily carry home, or to the next empty bin?

Enfield Council has had strong stances on the ‘climate emergency’, recently pledging to create a new woodland with 100,000 trees, becoming one of the first UK local authorities to ban meat at its events, as well as introducing schemes such as the effective (albeit controversial) quieter neighbourhoods in a bid to reduce carbon emissions in the borough. An essential component of the local fight against climate catastrophe is the preservation of green spaces such as Trent Park, which not only contains several acres of oxygen-producing trees, but is also home to countless species of birds and insects.

Recently, paper plates and plastic bags were found in the ponds, right beside where the ducks eat. Is this the consideration we, as a community, are giving to our beloved wildlife hub? Enfield is lucky to be home to this wondrous park, and in order to preserve its natural grandeur, the community must do its bit in reducing waste, and the council must take immediate action against the wrong-doers.

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