Easter Litter Shame: Bags of Waste Blight Rhyd Ddu in Snowdonia

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Bags of rubbish dumped at the Rhyd Ddu car park in Eryri after the Easter bank holiday weekend have sparked outrage among locals and visitors alike. Despite thousands flocking to North Wales to enjoy its natural beauty, a minority left behind a mess that marred the landscape.

Rhyd Ddu, nestled in the heart of Eryri (Snowdonia), serves as a gateway for walkers heading up the Rhyd Ddu path to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) or tackling the Nantlle Ridge. The car park became a focal point for frustration when open Tesco bags filled with plastic food containers and beer bottles, along with two black bin bags, were left scattered across the site.

Eryri National Park shared an image of the aftermath, with a spokesperson stating, “This photo was taken by a member of our team at Rhyd Ddu Car Park after the recent Bank Holiday weekend. Litter like this has no place in Eryri – or anywhere else. It harms the environment, puts wildlife at risk, and spoils the natural beauty we all come here to enjoy. Please take your litter home and leave no trace. Let’s all do our bit to keep Eryri tidy, safe, and beautiful for everyone.”

The incident comes after the National Park Authority removed bins from Rhyd Ddu car park last spring, aiming to encourage visitors to take their rubbish home and recycle more, a move that had previously shown signs of success and led to similar measures at the Snowdon Ranger car park. The park has also introduced water refill taps at several car parks to reduce single-use plastic, and recently launched COPA 1, a competition for schoolchildren to propose new ideas to reduce litter and single-use plastics in the park.

Social media reactions were swift and harsh, with one comment reading, “Carried it there in reusable, recyclable bags…to a wonderful place of spectacular beauty and nature…and effing left the remains! Ohh the irony… Humans are such lazy disgusting things!” Another added, “Disgusting excuse for humans! Need litter wardens all over this country, it’s out of control.” A third person speculated that those responsible for the mess cannot truly appreciate or love these special places, or they would not harm them in this way.

The cost of rubbish collection and toilet cleaning in the park has risen significantly, prompting the authority to increase its budget for these services in 2025/26 and reinforcing the importance of responsible visitor behavior.

National and international research continues to highlight that littering not only threatens local wildlife and habitats but also undermines the visitor experience and the reputation of protected landscapes worldwide.