I write as a compulsive litter picker, both in my neighbourhood and in community litter picks (“Fag ends, fast-food packages, gum: the rising tide of litter flooding Britain”, News).
First, this matter seems to be one of the few subjects in which there is no “sliding scale” of action; you either drop litter, fly-tip, fail to pick up after your dog or you don’t. And if you do, you are committing an offence and are liable to a fine. Unfortunately, few local authorities have the resources to enforce this. Second, a great deal of litter is recyclable. It is worth mentioning that the Scottish environment secretary, Richard Lochhead, and his UK counterpart, Liz Truss, are to explore a proposal for a deposit return scheme for drink bottles and cans. Many other countries have such schemes that have been shown to reduce the amount of litter. But of course what is really needed is a culture change. A smoking ban in public, wearing seat belts, minimal drink driving – all are now accepted as the right way to behave.
Rose Harvie
Dumbarton
John Vidal’s article on Britain’s litter problem was depressing, yet short on possible solutions. For as long as we have a government that insists on cutting “non-essential” services the problem of litter will not go away.
There is little prospect of educating the perpetrators and even less chance of catching them in the act. Schemes to punish offenders and methods for clearing up the debris, official and voluntary, though well-intentioned, are always expensive and often ill-conceived. The problem is a thorny one that will not be solved overnight. However, tackling the source is not impossible. For example, in the Netherlands, supermarkets have bottle recycling points for both glass and plastic, which dispense an in-store credit slip that can then be used towards purchases.
UK supermarkets are rightly criticised for their irresponsible attitudes towards packaging and waste. It should not be difficult for manufacturers, suppliers and retailers to take advice from their Dutch counterparts and, in mitigating the problem, gain some positive publicity.
Peter Winfield
Romsey
As one who makes a regular practice of collecting litter discarded by pupils from a nearby school and by students en route to university, I congratulate John Vidal for raising awareness of this disgrace and shame for our country.
It is very much a cultural problem and one that in Britain has been worsening year on year. By now, we are probably living with a third generation of youngsters whose parents have set no good example for maintaining the appearance of the environment. It is a problem of such magnitude that it needs tackling with bold measures. The government should be moved to introduce legislation to compel secondary schools not simply to teach that littering is antisocial but, as a component of the curriculum, make their pupils, under proper supervision and properly equipped, collect litter within a half-mile radius (say) over a period of at least one term during the course of their education as a compulsory exercise in civic responsibility.
Only by raising awareness through hands-on experience will successive generations learn to value the environment through which they move. Wishful thinking? Perhaps not.
Richard Jones
Canterbury
