LITTER, LITTER EVERYWHERE

I am often contacted by local residents expressing their concerns over the amount of litter that continues to mar our streets, highways and recreation areas. These residents expect me, in my capacity as their county councillor, to ‘do something’ about getting it collected.

Most people take a certain amount of pride in their environment and there is a strong feeling that our litter strewn highways present a poor image for those visiting the area and I am inclined to agree.

I must confess here that I have a personal obsession with litter; the reason I have rarely ventured anywhere near a public beach in over 30 years. I only have to see one discarded cigarette end, crisp packet or drink can and I’m off. Contrary to popular belief this is not a class issue. I often find it difficult to hold my tongue, sometimes failing to do so and receiving verbal abuse for my pains, each time I pass an office building, pub or bar and see smokers throwing their cigarettes on the ground. Who do they think is going to clean it up?

I can well recall inspecting a five-star hotel on one occasion when awoken in the middle of the night by noise coming from a nearby pub. On looking out of the window I happened to see the night porter having a quick smoke, then dropping the discarded end on the ground in front of the entrance; a clear indication of a complete lack of regard, and not someone I would wish to employ.

Littering is entirely anti-social, and the less responsible members of our society should be held to account for such behaviour; especially those who fly tip.

Much as I might try my best to persuade the powers that be to collect the litter, it seems absurd that we should have to employ people, paid for by our tax payers’ money, to pick up the rubbish discarded by others with such gay abandon. No matter how frequently litter collection is carried out, in just a few days there will always be more. Surely in times of austerity and government funding cuts there must be better things to spend our money on; education, transport and heath spring most readily to mind.

There is the argument that the solution to the problem lies in education but I believe that this is a cop out. Everyone knows that it is wrong to litter. The problem is that people just do not care and there are few consequences.

I am no fan of the ‘big brother’ society but perhaps the answer is dashboard cameras to capture evidence of items being flung out of car windows, and a willingness to prosecute. Better still, community service for the offenders – picking up litter.

I have just returned from a visit to India, where litter remains an enormous problem. In an effort to address this there is now a 2% levy on all bills to fund their ‘clean India’ campaign. Perhaps if our government were to consider doing the same, the public outcry alone may be enough to change behaviour. I live in hope. As frustrating as it may be to see litter, any anger should be directed to the culprits, not hard working local authority employees who have enough to cope with.