by Sarah Compson, Head of Policy & Campaigns, PAN UK
As someone with a high cake drive, I tend to be drawn to activities and events that might lead to the likes of a lemon drizzle, and that’s exactly how I first got involved with community weeding.
The premise is simple – on occasional Sundays over the summer, people in my local neighbourhood spend an hour or two weeding the pavements near their houses, then meet in the park at midday to eat cake, drink coffee and chat. But I’ve found that behind this low-effort activity there are some very high rewards.
Why weed?
The practical purpose of our street weeding efforts is to keep pavements and walkways free of the vegetation that could make it difficult for everyone to use them safely, whether that be on foot, in a wheelchair, pushchair or a mobility scooter.
Keeping these shared spaces safe and usable might sound like a job for the local authority – indeed, in my neighbourhood it’s the County Council that are responsible for the pavements. But the Council’s default approach relies on using glyphosate-based herbicides to keep the pavements clear, which comes with different kinds of dangers.
The problem with glyphosate
The highly hazardous pesticide glyphosate is the world’s most widely used weedkiller and does an effective and powerful job of killing off practically anything with leaves. This is why it’s the poison-of-choice in streets, parks and playgrounds managed by councils up and down the UK – it’s fast, effective and relatively cheap.
But just because something is legal to use doesn’t mean it’s safe. Even when problems with a pesticide are known and acknowledged, it can take a long time for regulation to catch up. It’s been over ten years since the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’, and since then the body of evidence has grown showing that glyphosate may be carcinogenic, genotoxic, neurotoxic and disrupt the microbiome.
And it’s not just human health that’s a concern, there’s evidence that glyphosate causes environmental harms, including to soils, frogs and bees.
Sadly, the regulatory system that should protect us from these impacts is slow to respond and seemingly influenced by the very companies that profit from pesticide sales. The UK government has promised a public consultation this year on whether glyphosate should continue to be approved for use in the UK, but at time of writing, we are still waiting to hear if and when this will take place.
Doing it for ourselves
Fortunately, at a community level it’s possible to take things into our own hands much sooner. You can approach your Council and ask for your street to be opted out of spraying if residents commit to keeping the street weed-free by other means. This is what’s happened where I live (more info on how to do this here).
But communities shouldn’t have to opt out. Glyphosate should be banned. We know it’s possible for a ban to work. If we look across the channel, many parts of Europe have banned glyphosate in towns and cities, including the whole of France! Pesticide Action Network UK are calling for local authorities to follow suit. There are great examples up and down the country of councils that have ditched glyphosate and taken up safe alternatives. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible, and more than worth it.
Green shoots of community connection
Community weeding isn’t just about stopping a bad thing; it’s about starting a good thing. I’ve been able to meet my neighbours in a low-key, low-pressure way. Some people work on their own, weeding the patch outside their house. Others end up working on the same stretch of street together, striking up conversation as they tease the weeds from the cracks. I’ve met some lovely people this way, all different ages, backgrounds and genders. It’s made where I live feel friendlier, more fun, and has created a stronger sense of ‘home’ – more than just a shared postcode.
The joy of small things
There’s something about getting down to street level and looking at pavement plants more closely that has given me a greater appreciation of the complexity and beauty of nature around me. The primary objective of our street weeding is to keep the pavements accessible, so there are some plants that we leave. As a rule of thumb, anything flowering stays, and PAN UK’s pavement plant guide has made me appreciate how important some of these plants are to our local wildlife.
Our local WhatsApp group now posts almost daily about an unusual insect, a sighting of a hedgehog, or a whole chorus of birdsong (the street record is 25 species of birds recorded on the Merlin bird id app in one sitting). I can’t help but wonder if this is another benefit of the neighbourhood being glyphosate-free.
Action that’s for everyone
You don’t have to be an activist or an environmental campaigner to make a difference. It still surprises me that a few hours every couple of months can bring so many positive benefits. There is loads of information out there, and a community of people willing to help if you’re interested in getting started on your street. Check out Pesticide-Free Towns for more information.
If nothing else, it’s a good excuse for community cake.
