Peter Bodbijl

A little tidying up in the neighborhood

"It gives me satisfaction to keep the environment a little clean," says Peter Bodbijl. A retired truck and coach driver who has lived in Fountain Woods for 17 years. He spends an hour every week walking around the flat cleaning up loose debris. What he collects he throws into the dumpster in front of the flats. He feels comfortable here, although at home there is sometimes talk of moving to Groningen. But it suits him well here. He likes the direct way people talk to each other here in Zoetermeer. And the green environment in this neighborhood. Especially compared to other neighborhoods in Zoetermeer. He hears that people from outside find it surprisingly green here.

Peter is a social man. He has a dog with which he walks the neighborhood daily, talking with other dog owners. Sometimes just saying hello and other times having a bit more of a conversation. The walk with the dog sometimes brings him to still undiscovered special green spots in and just outside Meerzicht.

After the major renovation of the Fountain Forest, the outdoor space was also addressed. "It was necessary too! Shrubs were removed and large containers were placed for flowers and plants. The flowers suffered in the summer. I then gave them some extra water and loosened up the soil a bit. After the renovation, however, it was cleaner than it is now. So about 2 years ago I started to clean up some more litter. It makes me happy to contribute to a clean environment. And it's also nice when people respond positively to it." By the way, Peter is not the only one doing this. There is another person in the apartment, but he does not know their name. Also in the Belvedere Forest, he sometimes sees 2 people cleaning up litter outside.

It is striking how much is thrown away, though. One reason may be that the process is made a little too difficult. If a tag (digital key) for the dumpster is broken, it can be ordered online and then be picked up at the industrial park. "No way older people are going to do that. It would be better if there is a place in Meerzicht or, for example, at City Hall where a new tag can be obtained. A possible consequence of this is that people now put garbage on the street instead of throwing it in the container. That's a shame."

Sometimes he makes a report to the municipality via the BuitenBeter app. For example, about a tree that had been cut down or a gate that people could no longer get through because of the amount of cobwebs. Something is done about it, but in practice it can take a long time.

Peter finds it very common to devote an hour each week to cleaning up. And he is pleased when other people also clean up trash from the streets and green spaces. "Those are the heroes of society," he says.