The awareness around litter and the amount of rubbish and waste we produce ourselves is certainly on the rise. As climate change continues to have a more dramatic effect on the globe, it’s so important to make sure we’re all doing our bit to help keep our environment clean and tidy. Living in London, you’d have thought we’d have plenty of litter strewn about but due to Central London being the capital, they’ve got a council who has the funds to stay on top of it. As you get further out from Central London though, there’s certainly a lot of rubbish in the area of where I lived. Probably more concerning though is the amount of litter across the UK in locations like beaches, woodlands, and other natural spots that should be enjoyed without an empty packet of cigarettes or plastic bottles at our feet. Regatta recently launched a campaign that looks at the UK litter crisis and I thought it would be handy to use my platform to share with you, just how detrimental this could be to our planet.
*This is a collaborative post.
Just how much litter is disposed of per day?
This figure truly shocked me because it’s staggering to think that so much litter in the UK alone could be disposed of on the floor. TWO MILLION PIECES PER DAY. That’s 23 items of rubbish every second on average. How is that even ok? I would never think to drop or leave anything on the floor of a public high-street or in the middle of a park. It’s just laziness and a careless attitude towards our environment and towards other people who are trying to enjoy it. The most common things that tend to be dropped are drinks cans, food packaging, sweet wrappers, and cigarette butts.
There’s just no need to drop it on the floor when there’s likely to be a bin within walking distance. I know some rubbish ends up falling out of pockets by accident but there’s a lot that’s thrown purposefully on the ground.
The costs of picking up litter
What many will forget when they carelessly drop rubbish on the floor is that someone will need to clean it up. Otherwise, the longer it spends on the ground, the more harm it can bring to others and the wildlife that will be curious to pick it up or eat it. According to Keep Britain Tidy – a charity that encourages others to do their bit – keeping our streets clean can cost taxpayers more than £1 billion every year. That means that littering is costing us all money and so it’s important that we’re all making a more conscious effort to not drop litter but to also do our bit in picking up any litter we see.
So what can I do to help?
It’s important before you do anything, that you’re taking responsibility for your own waste that goes out of your home every day. Be more conscious to recycle as much as you can and buy products that are packaged in recyclable materials. Look around your immediate area for any litter and be active in picking it up. Make sure when you’re out and about, you dispose of rubbish properly and if you are picking up any litter that’s not yours, be sure to do it safely. If you can’t for any reason, then it’s worth reporting this to the local council.
I’m definitely going to make more of an effort to pick up litter when I see it and it also be more active at home with my recycling. Share your thoughts online using the hashtag #UKLitterCrisis and do what you can to make a difference to the litter problems in your area.
Do you have any challenges in your hometown with litter? Let me know your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
*Disclaimer – This is a collaborative post with Regatta. All words are my own.
