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Ride London 100 litter: 96 gel wrappers found in 600m in Richmond Park

Don't litter, kids: conservation charity says the plastic could be lethal to the park's deer population...

A Richmond Park conservation charity has complained about an extraordinary level of littering from this year's Ride London 100 event.

The Friends of Richmond Park say following the event they found 96 gel wrappers in just 600m of Park they say litter pickers had already passed once. They fear more may still be hidden in the long grass - a risk to the park's deer population, who could become seriously ill or die if they eat the wrappers.

Around 25,000 participants on the 100 mile ride passed through Richmond park on the outward stretch of the route, which loops towards the Surrey Hills and back from Central London. The Friends say littering was also a problem last year. 

A report by the FRP says: "Loads of gel packs on road & side, also energy bar wrappers, 4 inner tubes, banana skins, and other rubbish blowing about. Pic shows 96 strips found between Richmond Gate and Pembroke Lodge next day after litter pickers. Also 2 gel packs, and one inner tube found hanging on tree crate."

The report shows a photo of the 96 top strips of energy gels, presumably missed by previous litter pickers due to their size, which also makes them liable to be eaten by deer. The Friends say these can clog the animals' stomachs, causing serious consequences for their health.

The FRP says: "These strips are dangerous for deer. They are small enough that they can get hidden in or trampled into the grass and are easily eaten by the deer. They are indigestible and gradually clog the stomachs of the deer, leading to them being unable to eat properly and so starve. Examination of deer that have died unexpectedly often shows the contents of their stomach full of litter."

Deer were herded away from the ride course by park staff for the event to stop them straying into the path of cyclists. 

Signs were put up by organisers asking riders not to litter, and bins provided at feed and water stations, but apparently this did not stop litter appearing along the route.

One cyclist, Elisabeth Anderson, suggested cyclists pitch in to clean up after the event.

Ride London organisers have been contacted for comment.

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59 comments

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thereverent | 8 years ago
1 like

I live very near Richmond Park and run/ride/walk though it regularly.
It's noticeable that the Friends of Richmond produce a report for the Ride London event detailing the litter found that looks like it was from bikes, but after a hot day like Saturday there be much more litter (with more further away from the road out of sight) from picnics/dog walkers/other visitors. The Royal Parks staff do a sweep in their truck early in the morning, but litter further away from the road gets missed for longer and eaten by the deer.
The Friends of Richmond Park always make more fuss about cyclists than almost anything else, even though cars, dogs and litter are the deer killers.

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paul-ldn | 8 years ago
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There is something about psyche of these charity or mass events where huge numbers of plastic bottles and wrappers are dumped by the participants.

I suspect these same participants would not do the same during the day so some thought needs to be done by the organisers about awareness raising, practical ways to dispose of handouts and environmental.

My hunch is that they will save money on waster collection if disposal is thought about. Participants too need to ponder their behaviour at these events.

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crazy-legs | 8 years ago
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A Belgian Sportive that I rode had huge nets strung out on the downwind side of the road at various intervals. You just threw whatever litter you had at it, the net would catch it and there was a truck parked next to it and various volunteers emptying the net into black bin bags for loading onto the truck.

Not even sure if there was a rider briefing to explain this, it just seemed that everyone understood the protocol.

I didn't see any litter at all on the course.

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Bob's Bikes | 8 years ago
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I have put this on here before but maybe this idea is beyond some people. buy sauce/fruit couli in squeezy bottle from shop use then clean and refill with gells before your ride put in jersey pocket take out and use on ride keep and reuse, better for you, better for me and better for the countryside.

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surly_by_name | 8 years ago
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I'm with Abu Dhabi Chris. This is being blown out of all proportion. The Friends of Richmond Park have their own agenda and it doesn't include promoting cycling within the confines of the Park (how about a mountain bike course or a cross race? didn't think so - Chairman's letter of Spring 08 "... we [the FRP] will continue to resist ill-considered schemes which would turn the Park into an urban sports ground, and destroy the different and special experience the Park can give to young people"). Even the FRP's website doesn't have the chutzpah to claim that any deer have been killed by the tops of gel wrappers or indeed by rubbish of any kind, although they evidently hope that readers will conclude as much.

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Jem PT | 8 years ago
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I totally agree that gel wrappers etc. should not be dropped.

But banana skins? Is there a problem with these, seeing as they are 100% natural and bio-degradable. No worse than apple cores?

Just a thought.

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Cyclist in Exile | 8 years ago
1 like

Story: 25,000 cyclists pass through Richmond Park and some litter was found afterwards.

 39

While there is a clear assumption that some of this was dropped deliberately, the message that people should be more careful and respectful of their environment is a universal one. Personally I do put my rubbish in my jersey pocket - but I have dropped wrappers accidently while on the bike and this will happen in any cycle event to some extent.

Not sure of the necessity of commenting on people's individual nutrition strategies - or of playground name calling, though.

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Jem PT | 8 years ago
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Speaking as someone who did this years Ride LondonSurrey, never mind about gel wrappers, i had to avoid many complete water bottles rolling across the road. And loads of spent laughing gas cannisters on the roads leading to the start at the Olympic Park.

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Judge dreadful | 8 years ago
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Gels, by the time they'd reached Richmond? 96 of these required, I suggest.

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Skylark | 8 years ago
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How little sense people have in this day and age. Put your litter back in your pockets you lazy bast'ds.

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LarryDavidJr replied to Jem PT | 8 years ago
1 like
Jem PT wrote:

I totally agree that gel wrappers etc. should not be dropped.

But banana skins? Is there a problem with these, seeing as they are 100% natural and bio-degradable. No worse than apple cores?

Just a thought.

Those both take quite a while to degrade, and in the meantime I'd rather not be knee deep in your half eaten snacks thanks.

It is also bad for the wildlife, especially the smaller animals which are attracted to the roads by the smell of food and then squished.

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LarryDavidJr replied to Jem PT | 8 years ago
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Jem PT wrote:

I totally agree that gel wrappers etc. should not be dropped.

But banana skins? Is there a problem with these, seeing as they are 100% natural and bio-degradable. No worse than apple cores?

Just a thought.

Those both take quite a while to degrade, and in the meantime I'd rather not be knee deep in your half eaten snacks thanks.

It is also bad for the wildlife, especially the smaller animals which are attracted to the roads by the smell of food and then squished.

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Vili Er | 8 years ago
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All Clif gels have a strip that stops the tab from coming away.

As for 'nodders', fuxk off you patronising tw@t.

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rogermerriman | 8 years ago
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ride London is a commercial venture, Royal Parks if there is significant risk to the deer, could simply not allow the ride though, it's not public roads the park is under no obligation to do so.

Knowing the friends it's possible the case may be overstated.

But even so i'm sure there are ways of making it work since there is the money being commercial.

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bikebot replied to rogermerriman | 8 years ago
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rogermerriman wrote:

ride London is a commercial venture...

No, it's a charitable trust. At the top, it's the same people who run the London Marathon.

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vonhelmet | 8 years ago
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Peasants.

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monty dog | 8 years ago
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I don't care how fast they were riding, anyone who litters is a f*ing noddy

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stealth | 8 years ago
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Littering of any form is disgraceful, disrespectful behaviour. Quite why you would need a gel at 20/25miles is beyond me! (I do race, and only use gels when racing, when riding l use proper food). The people doing tho kind of thing are probably the same ones that litter the place with MuckDonalds bags, cartons, etc.

YOU ARE NOT PRO RACERS, YOU ARE JUST RIDERS!!

Even the pro's use disposal zones, to make the post-race clean up easier...

Actually, I've just thought why you 'need' a gel at 20miles, you've swallowed the whole marketing schtick from the manufacturers...

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Colin Peyresourde | 8 years ago
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Ironically I think it is the less experienced riders who tend to litter more (and consume more gels). But I guess it is our job to guide them.

I'm not sure what relevance the quote above about motorists being cyclists has. Twats are twats.

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Haggisbasher | 8 years ago
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The Tour o the Borders this year did not have gels at the feed stations to cut down on the number of wrappers dropped. In addition it was drummed into everyone to take away what they bring.

This appeared to be a great sucess as the resultant clean up only collected less than one black bin bag for over 2000 riders.

From another view point there could be a gel wrapper reward at the end, for every 2 gel wrappers handed in the sponsor would give you a replacement gel.

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SoBinary | 8 years ago
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Seem to spend quite a lot of time avoiding metal gas canisters (the type used to fix punctures) in the gutter too.

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brooksby replied to SoBinary | 8 years ago
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SoBinary wrote:

Seem to spend quite a lot of time avoiding metal gas canisters (the type used to fix punctures) in the gutter too.

Some of those canisters will actually be "party gas", I think. Apparently it's popular among the young people, or so I hear.

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Colin Peyresourde replied to SoBinary | 8 years ago
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 41

SoBinary wrote:

Seem to spend quite a lot of time avoiding metal gas canisters (the type used to fix punctures) in the gutter too.

I thought this too. But after reading an article about hippy crack I realised they were the discards of drug abuse. Apparently they use similar sized canisters and it is these that you see. You can tell the difference because the hippy crack canisters are already deformed and it is almost impossible to do that to CO2 canisters. They are also branded, which the hippy crack isn't.

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Colin Peyresourde | 8 years ago
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Colin Peyresourde wrote:

 41

SoBinary wrote:

Seem to spend quite a lot of time avoiding metal gas canisters (the type used to fix punctures) in the gutter too.

I thought this too. But after reading an article about hippy crack I realised they were the discards of drug abuse. Apparently they use similar sized canisters and it is these that you see. You can tell the difference because the hippy crack canisters are already deformed and it is almost impossible to do that to CO2 canisters. They are also branded, which the hippy crack isn't.

Yeah, have been seeing those things for the last couple of years, all over the place in the street, there seems to be one every few hundred yards. I was baffled what they were for a while (best guess, something to do with lighter fluid!) till I read about the NO2 fad.
(there aren't that many cyclists having that many punctures round here!)

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Sub5orange | 8 years ago
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littering equals lack of manners and lack of respect.

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Simon E replied to Sub5orange | 8 years ago
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Sub5orange wrote:

littering equals lack of manners and lack of respect.

It's the same as the fast food wrappers and fizzy pop bottles/energy drink cans I see on the roadside every day on the ride to work. The RL litterers are just like the arseholes that use the McD drive-thru or 24-hour Spar then toss the litter out a mile or two up the road  2

I wonder if some people feel that they've somehow paid for the right to discard their gel packets this way. I guess we can't expect all 20,000 of them to be responsible citizens.

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brooksby replied to Simon E | 8 years ago
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Simon E wrote:

It's the same as the fast food wrappers and fizzy pop bottles/energy drink cans I see on the roadside every day on the ride to work. The RL litterers are just like the arseholes that use the McD drive-thru or 24-hour Spar then toss the litter out a mile or two up the road.

My pet hates are hubcaps/wheel trims on cycle paths, and broken car window or wing mirror glass (usually where there's been a collision on the adjacent road and nobody thought to clear it up...).

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Petethepump | 8 years ago
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It was just awful how many gel wrappers were thrown on the ground. Nobody's got the right to litter, your not effing pro cyclists and they don't chuck stuff on the road that won't be picked up by adoreing fans. Just because your on a bike don't mean you can litter. What was really annoying was that some twats were throwing banana skins on the road. Just what you need when your breaking into a corner. WANKERS !!! There were loads of rubbish bins, bloody use them.  19

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Petethepump | 8 years ago
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It was just awful how many gel wrappers were thrown on the ground. Nobody's got the right to litter, your not effing pro cyclists and they don't chuck stuff on the road that won't be picked up by adoreing fans. Just because your on a bike don't mean you can litter. What was really annoying was that some twats were throwing banana skins on the road. Just what you need when your breaking into a corner. WANKERS !!! There were loads of rubbish bins, bloody use them.  19

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Jigzy99 | 8 years ago
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No excuse for this and see it on every sportive. Some think they are actually pros in a race and I do wonder having rode the RIDE100 why they would need a gel that early in the ride. If you are a gel wrapper dropper then surely you are going to wash your jersey after the ride so just shove your empties in the back pocket - banana skins too. Need to grow public support for these events not lose it.

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