Litter – There’s No Excuse

The EffectsLitter looks awful and can be smelly and dirty. For people who have lived in an area all their lives, especially the elderly, seeing their community going downhill and looking like a tip can seriously affect their mental health and contribute to depression.

It costs Local Authorities somewhere in the region of £65 million a year. Those clean-up costs are met through the Council Tax, which every homeowner pays.

Litter can be dangerous, unhealthy, and it can persist in the environment for a very long time. Rubbish, such as plastic bags or half-drunk cider bottles, can also trap, suffocate, strangle and poison wildlife.

If an area is heavily littered, it can lead to the ‘broken window’ effect – more litter, dumping of rubbish, flyposting, graffiti and vandalism.

Local communities and the people who live there can be very badly affected. It can also have a damaging effect on the local economy and on tourism. A cleaner Elgin attracts more visitors, which means more money is spent and jobs created, benefitting everyone.

Your responsibilityThere really is no excuse for dropping fag packets, chewing gum, bottles, sandwich wraps or any form of litter. So, we must make sure we are not part of the problem and dispose of any rubbish properly, placing it carefully in the nearest bin. Be careful as Fixed Penalty Notices of £50 can be issued by local council staff or the police for anyone caught littering.

However, even if everyone stopped littering tomorrow, there would still be a mountain of rubbish already out there that required an army of volunteers to roll-up their sleeves and help sort-out the mess. That’s where we can all do a little or a lot to make a real difference to our communities. Your opportunityAll we really need is a pair of garden gloves to protect our hands (cost one or two quid), plastic bags (free - recycled from your local shop) and a willing heart. When we’re out walking from home to work, or the shops, look out for whatever we can do. Don’t forget to stuff a few empty bags in your pockets as you will be shocked how quickly they fill-up. Then dispose of these as soon as you can in your nearest rubbish receptacle. Added benefits include enjoying fresh

air, exercise and a real sense of achievement. We are reclaiming and cleaning-up our own communities or green spaces.Depending on your personality, you could get together with a group of friends and enjoy some on-the-job banter, or plug yourself into some upbeat music on the move. You can find out more about the situation in your area at www.litteraction.org.uk/, register your interest and maybe even join a “Waste-Watchers” group. When we see someone drop litter, we should feel empowered to correct their bad habit and politely point them in the direction of a bin.

Joining the campaign would also be an excellent addition to any C.V. This simple action would demonstrate that you care about your environment, possess a strong sense of responsibility and are willing to take the initiative to solve problems. These are all skills employers look for when hiring new workers.

If we see an area where there is lots of litter, then we can also email our local authority directly, waste@moray.gov.uk, pinpointing exactly where the problem is and calling in extra assistance. There are laws to force businesses to clean-up industrial sites that they own or, if a fast food chain, do more to stop their products becoming pollutants.

For those who persist in dropping litter, the best argument against their selfish indifference is to show mercy and actually help solve the problem. Quite possibly, they may even be shamed into stopping when they see whole communities, or even brave individuals, taking positive action. Remember, all that is required for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing. As someone once said, everybody assumed that somebody would do what anybody could do, but in the end nobody did anything!

The key is to start where we are and do whatever we can. Obviously, we all have different amounts of physical strength and varying demands on our time, so no-one has the right to judge anyone else. There are plenty of other issues and opportunities to serve wherever you are, so please be encouraged to make the most of

whatever chances you have to help other people and look after our wonderful world.