Green is blackened
“Greenwash” is how a Boscombe councillor describes the 150 Marks and Spencer litterbins decorating the streets of Bournemouth.
The bins were donated to the council in November last year, each carrying an M&S branded plaque, but Cllr Lisa Northover believes that they are not tackling the towns real green issues.
Cllr Northover said: “I’m fairly cynical about companies suddenly wanting to do things and I think probably for them it’s been quite a cheap way of getting quite a lot of publicity.”
Council leader Stephen MacLoughlin said: “We are aware that the company will benefit from the promotion opportunity this gives them.
“The donation supports the publicly stated priorities and policies of the council, so there is no conflict.”
Cllr Northover believes that the council should focus on the environmental ‘Rs’ of reducing and reusing, as well as recycling.
She says the council should adopt a “new way of thinking” about green issues, including the promotion of local shopping to strengthen communities.
Bournemouth became the hub of an M&S environmental campaign last year when the company unveiled their first ‘eco-store’ in the town centre.
The company also drew national attention when they funded the installation of a number of solar-powered litterbins at the Pier Approach.
Portfolio holder for the environment Cllr Robert Lawton said: “We will continue to secure external investment in our street scene and are in discussions with other local and national businesses for the provision of bins”.
Cllr Northover said: “I’m surprised that we’re in such need of bins, I wasn’t aware that there was such an issue about paying for bins.
“Maybe if the company was advertising and then paying for the upkeep of that bin for the whole year, including the cost of emptying it and the cost of recycling it, then that would be the whole service.”
The criticisms came on the same day that Cllr Anne Rey revealed: “I know that we as a council have lots of bins just standing in a yard due to someone’s mistake by over ordering.”