England’s green and pleasant land is now swimming in so much litter, that you can’t even enjoy a walk most times, without having to take a bag with you, to pick up litter as you go.
It also is harmful to children, pets, birds and wildlife. When asked, litter louts usually say it’s due to ‘lack of or full bins, and ‘because everyone else drops litter’.
Report litter to Fix My Street. No matter who dropped it, councils have legal responsibility to clear it up on public land.
For private land, they can serve Litter Abatement Orders (for non-compliance, they can issue fines or clean up themselves, and reclaim costs). You can also report fly-tipping (illegal dumping of waste (donate scrap cars to charity).
Report motorway litter to National Highways (campaigners want litter cleared before mowing, to avoid sending shards of glass everywhere).
Choose Reusable Grocery Bags
Plastic bags & packaging. Invest in reusable bags. Follow the example of the Devon town of Modbury and become a plastic-bag free town!
They did this in 4 weeks, posting everyone a cloth bag, and place an amnesty bin in town, for everyone to deposit plastic bags, sent off to make into garden benches.
Recycle Drinks Cans & Bottles
These make up most of the world’s litter, which is why litter charities want a deposit return scheme, which has been happening in Finland since the 1960s.
Finns earn an average £40 a year in returning used bottles and cans. This helps pay for all their coffee (they drink more than anyone else on earth – 4 cups a day!)
Choose Reusable or Returnable Coffee Cups
These have plastic linings, so can only be recycled in shops. Better yet, use a mug! If not, invest in a reusable coffee cups (most shops give discounts if you use one). Cupple is a reusable coffee cup and water bottle in one.
Avoid Plastic Beer Can Holders
These are now banned by many shops, as they are invisible in water, so harm wildfowl in particular.
Boycott brands that wrap beers in them, there are many brands that wrap in cardboard instead. If you see any, rip the holes and safely bin.
Choose Reusable Face Masks
Disposable ones harm wildlife, so choose reusable, unless there are medical reasons not to do so.
If you see littered disposable face masks, snip the strips before safely binning.
Choose Alternatives to Clingfilm
Supermarket bags bins now accept most soft plastics (including crisp packets and chocolate wrappers). But don’t accept clingfilm, so use clingfilm alternatives.
Securely Dispose of Broken Glass
You can recycle LED and fluorescent bulbs at council depots. But you can’t recycle old or broken lightbulbs, nor broken glass.
So bin securely in thick paper, to prevent harm at the tip to refuse workers and wildlife/birds.
Choose Reusable Cutlery & Straws
Single-use plastic versions are now banned for sale (in the US, President Trump has just signed an order bringing plastic straws back into use, saying ‘paper straws explode’. Either bin them or recycle with Terrabox (see below).
Plastic confetti is also banned, choose biodegradable confetti (like recycled paper or rose petals – not toxic flowers like delphiniums near pets). Rice is not recommended by vicars (slipping hazard and attracts pigeons!)
Reduce Food waste
Make your own food from wholesome ingredients, to save on waste. Many ready-made items (like greasy pizza boxes and microwave porridge sachets) can’t be recycled.
Some councils offer free/discounted compost bins (just bin scraps of rhubarb, citrus fruits, alliums (onions, leeks, scallions, leeks, chives) along with tea/coffee grounds. As acid/caffeine could harm compost creatures).
Pick Up Littered Elastic Bands
These get littered in offices (you can band papers together with a staple-less stapler). Wildlife rescuers want Royal Mail to find an alternative to littered red elastic bands (ducks feed them to chicks, thinking they are worms).
There are alternatives around like paper belly bands, PaperStrap or latex tubing. It would also help if they did not deliver so much junk mail, then less bands would be needed.
Choose Zero Waste Christmas Alternatives
Forget glittered cards, gift wrap, Christmas crackers and tinsel. There are many eco-Christmas alternatives these days, from recycled and reusable gift wrap to reusable crackers and paper-garland wall decorations. Use with paper packing tape.
Avoid Disposable barbecues
These are the ultimate waste of money. Read more on safe reusable barbecue (or make things on the grill, and take them outside).
Avoid Plastic Disposable nappies
These make up around quarter of landfill waste. Switch to reusable or biodegradable nappies.
Disposable Razors
Switch to a reusable razor and use a blade bank to safely deposit used blades. It will take a year to fill, then just throw it in with your metal recycling.
Disposable Plastic toothbrushes
Switch to zero waste dental care (toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss).
Never use xylitol-sweetened floss, toothpaste or gum near pets (also found in sweet foods). Just a tiny amount can be lethal.
Quick Individual Fixes to Reduce Litter
- Buy less! The Charity Shop Gift Card gives discounts (choose small charities that don’t test on animals). The compostable card is valid for 2 years, and you can choose to donate remaining balance to the charity.
- Choose reusable over disposable. Like baby wipes and feminine care (never flush either down loos).
- Biodegradable poop bags are good if your council offers industrial composting. If out in the hills, DickyBag keeps you hands-free (and poop bags enclosed) till you get home.
Organise a Community Litter Clean-Up
- Register at Cleanup UK to receive free loan of litter picking-kits for a community clean-up (we could do with a UK version of Bag Snagger, to grab plastic bags from trees and rivers). The site also has safety tips.
- Towpath Taskforce cleans litter from local canals (the otters and kingfishers will thank you!) Sturdy shoes are a must. Bring your own packed lunch, they supply tea!
- 2 Minute Litter-Picking Station for beaches includes tools, just take along and return rubbish before you go home. It can help set up fundraisers for councils, schools or offices to sponsor one. Use with beach litter clean-up kits and knives.
- Private anglers can use Monomaster, which lets you store fishing gear, until you deposit it in a fishing line recycling station (or send it off).
Keep America Beautiful organises annual clean-ups of around 10 million items of litter.
Previous items found include a box saying ‘please recycle this box’, a disposable nappy filled with fruit, someone’s prosthetic leg and a basket of live puppies (all happily adopted to loving homes).
