If the sight of discarded
fag butts, empty bottles and plastic wrappers makes you see red, you’re not
alone.
Litter is an issue that
frustrates and aggravates many people in our area, and rightly so.
Not only is litter unsightly
and expensive to remove (in 2017/18 keeping the streets clean cost local
authorities £663 million), but it can damage the environment and harm wildlife.
Cigarette packets and butts
top the list of items most likely to be dropped, followed by confectionery
packets and soft drink bottles and cans. Plus how many of us have
witnessed the remains of a fast food meal packaging trail along the roadside?
Vehicle parts and clothing
also make it into the top ten of most littered items, in at number eight and
ten respectively.
Sign up and make a difference
The good news is that an
initiative kicked off today to remove at least some of the litter left on our
beaches, streets and country lanes by litter louts.
The Great British September
Clean, which runs from 11 to 27 September, promises to be one almighty tidy-up.
Run by Keep Britain Tidy, it
is expected to mobilise hundreds of thousands of volunteers who will either
host a clean-up in their local area with others (following the rule of six)
or go solo and spend time picking up rubbish in a nearby park or open
space.
The campaign came about
after plans to hold a similar event – the Great British Spring Clean – were
cancelled in March due to Covid-19.
Back then, a whopping
680,000 people signed up to help out. No doubt organisers hope that this time
around, the sense of community and commitment is just as strong.
You can SIGN UP HERE.
Beacons of litter
It’s ironic (and slightly
frustrating) that the sort of person who would never leave their
rubbish behind after a picnic or day out (how hard is it to bin it or take it
with you?), is also the type most likely to roll their sleeves up and pick up
litter.
But if you want to eradicate
the scourge of litter, it really is the most effective way to stamp it
out.
A study called Beacons of
Litter, carried out by Keep Britain Tidy, found that if an area is free of
litter, people are less likely to drop rubbish there.
Conversely, if a space is
strewn with plastic, bags and paper, people think it’s socially acceptable to
follow suit and leave their waste behind.
The study was carried out in
Stoke Newington, London, and Stourbridge in the West Midlands over several
weeks.
Researchers deliberately
planted brightly coloured or ‘beacon’ items of rubbish like plastic bags and
drinks bottles, and smaller pieces such as paper and tissues.
They found that in the areas
with beacon litter, 35% of people disposing of waste did so by littering (gee
thanks guys).
In an area with less
visible, albeit still annoying, paper and tissue waste, the littering rate
dropped to 22%. In tidy areas, the littering rate dropped again to 17%.
Year-round vigilance
Regular litter picks are, of
course, to be applauded but another way to keep on top of the issue is to report
litter problems to Bassetlaw District Council
https://www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/report-a-problem/
Frequent reporting will stop
litter building up in the first place – and play a role in deterring the litter
louts. Together we can make a difference.
Thanks for reading.
Call me or message me or
drop me a note:
Tel: 01777 237310 or 07981 744003
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me on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/thegoodestateagentnorthnottinghamshire
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