Pillbox ‘stuffed full of rubbish’ as years of litter builds up
Plenty of rubbish remains in the Second World War pill box, despite four rounds of cleaning Picture: JASON ALEXANDER - Credit: Archant
An environmental activist has shared the “unreal” extent of litter dumped in a military pillbox in Ipswich.
Jason Alexander, known as the Wildlife Gadget Man, has shared the progress of cleaning the pill box near Ipswich on social media Picture: JASON ALEXANDER - Credit: Archant
Jason Alexander - known as the Wildlife Gadget Man - has been documenting the progress he has made in attempting to clear the structure, near Orwell Country Park, which was “stuffed full of rubbish”.
Along with his colleague Daniel Cable-Davey, Mr Alexander has spent countless hours clearing out rubbish from the pillbox - with some items several decades old.
This includes the discovery of an aluminium can from 1989 and a crisp packet from 1997.
As the door to the pillbox appears to be underground, the pair have been using rakes and litter pickers to slowly but surely remove the waste through the windows.
The inside of the pill box contained several items that were several decades old Picture: JASON ALEXANDER - Credit: Archant
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Before any litter was cleared, pictures showed the pillbox was almost entirely filled with rubbish - and much still remains.
After the fourth session of cleaning, Mr Alexander and Mr Cable-Davey had filled a total of 78 bags of rubbish, including an estimated 2,000 cans and 1,500 plastic bottles.
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The rubbish was separated into different materials before it was transported away for recycling.
Despite Mr Alexander’s and Mr Cable-Davey’s efforts, the pair estimate the structure contains at least 5ft more of waste.
78 bags of rubbish have been removed from the pillbox so far Picture: JASON ALEXANDER - Credit: Archant
Pillboxes are military structures made of concrete, with holes drilled in the sides for weapons to be fired out of.
Mr Alexander believes the pillbox in Ipswich has been used for many years as a fly-tipping spot, leading to thousands of different items being illegally disposed of.
He hopes to be able to locate the door to the pillbox and has committed to removing as much of the waste as possible.
Mr Alexander said: “I’m regularly over there doing litter picks. I noticed there was litter poking through the windows.
“It was stuffed full of rubbish. The sheer volume in there was unbelievable - it’s a massive amount of litter. It’s unreal.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up with 10,000 cans.
“As the litter levels in the pill box drop, it gets harder and harder to pick it out.
“We’ve cleared so much already. We’ve got a few sessions to go and we will keep going until we get it cleared.”
