Don’t trash our future – together we can tidy up our nation
Today, the Western Mail, together with local community and information platform InYourArea.co.uk and our nationwide network of sister newspapers and websites, has teamed up with Clean Up Britain to campaign for a crackdown on litter louts
RUBBISH strewn across beaches, carpets of detritus left behind in city centres, discarded packaging dumped in parks for someone else to deal with.
These are all scenes that have become too familiar during the easing of coronavirus restrictions in the UK but which have their root in a much more long-term problem – the UK’s litter epidemic.
Today we are standing up to it, and urging you to do the same, with our new campaign Don’t Trash Our Future.
The Western Mail, together with local community and information platform InYourArea.co.uk and our nationwide network of sister newspapers and websites, have teamed up with Clean Up Britain to push for changes we believe will leave both irresponsible litter louts and the authorities, who have the power to enforce the law but so often don’t, with no choice but to take long-lasting action.
Our campaign has two aims:
■ To increase the maximum punishment for littering to a £1,000 fine or 100 hours of supervised community litter-picking; and
■ To make it compulsory for local authorities to enforce the law on littering.
We are urging you to sign our petition (www.inyourarea.co.uk/dtof) – with the aim of reaching 100,000 signatures so we can lobby the Government to change the legislation and free the country of its long-held reputation as a litter-plagued nation.
We’re also calling on councils to flex their muscles in the fight against rubbish and make far better use of the powers they already have.
A Freedom of Information request sent by Clean Up Britain to 169 councils in England and Wales found the majority (56%) were issuing less than one fine per week for littering and more than two dozen (16%) don’t issue fines at all.
In a recent survey conducted by InYourArea.co.uk, more than 7,500 respondents overwhelmingly said littering has a negative effect on them and their neighbourhoods and classed it as a big problem.
JB Gill, a former member of superstar pop group JLS who is now a passionate advocate for education and the countryside, has signed up as an ambassador for Don’t Trash Our Future.
He said: “It’s great to see that people recognise that litter is a public health concern and a major problem. The only way to stop the damage being done to our health, nature and wildlife is to sign the Don’t Trash Our Future petition, object to local councils not enforcing fines and demand a higher penalty for those dropping litter.”
John Read, founder of Clean Up Britain, said: “Clean Up Britain is very excited to be running the Don’t Trash Our Future campaign with InYourArea.co.uk
“We know from the countless people who contact us that there is a huge desire – from people all over the country – to try to solve the litter epidemic. We are all so fortunate to live in a beautiful country, but equally, it’s so depressing to see so many people littering it. “This has to stop, as it shames Britain. There has to be zero tolerance towards littering.
“Littering is symptomatic of a lack of pride in our local communities, and a lack of respect for other people and the environment generally. “This campaign is about challenging and reversing these negative sentiments, and saying enough is enough.
“Let’s be grateful for what we have, take care of our country and, above all, Don’t Trash Our Future.”
Mr Read added: “The Government needs to start getting serious about confronting people who litter.
“It’s a criminal offence to litter and it needs to be treated that way.
“Fines need to be increased to a level which shows the Government – and society generally – will no longer tolerate this anti-social and selfish behaviour. In addition, we also need to ensure fines are a credible deterrent, by making it compulsory for councils to enforce the law, which currently it’s not.”
Journalist and television presenter Jeremy Paxman is Clean Up Britain’s patron. He said: “There is only one sustainable and effective solution to littering – changing the behaviour of people who do it. Nothing else will work. It pollutes the environment. It’s dangerous to humans and animals.
“It depresses people because mucky surroundings make them feel worthless. It’s expensive – councils across the UK spend over a billion pounds a year trying to clean it up.”
The campaign has also received the backing of broadcaster and animal
rights campaigner Clare Balding and her partner Alice Arnold.
Together, they said: “It’s very sad to see so much litter in this country, both in the countryside and in urban areas. It has a demoralising effect on all of us and also has a very negative impact on animals.
“A shocking reflection of this is that RSPCA vets, last year, treated over 5,000 cases of animals who’ve been injured by, ingested or become trapped by litter.
“We hope the Clean Up Britain and InYourArea national campaign Don’t Trash Our Future will change the attitudes and behaviour of people who do litter, and make us all take more care of the naturally beautiful country we are fortunate to share together.”
Further support has come from television host Gabby Logan and her husband Kenny, a broadcaster and former Scotland international rugby player.
Together they said: “We’re urging everyone to get behind the Don’t
Trash Our Future national anti-litter campaign and show how much we care about our naturally beautiful country. Littering is senseless, selfish and costly to us all. It’s only a minority of people who do it, but it negatively affects the quality of life for absolutely everyone.
“To use the sporting analogy... it’s a self-inflicted, needless own goal. It doesn’t cost a penny to do the socially-responsible right thing and put your litter in a bin. Just do it! Please.”
Ed Walker, editor-in-chief of InYourArea.co.uk, said it’s time for littering to stop.
“InYourArea are proud to be working with Clean Up Britain to tackle the country’s litter and waste epidemic. Our users are sick of seeing their neighbourhoods being treated like rubbish dumps. Don’t Trash Our Future will hopefully make councils and members of the public think harder about the littering issue.”
The campaign has also received the backing of behavioural science expert
Merle van den Akker, president of the behavioural insights team at Warwick Business School.
He said: “It is not about the absolute value of the fine, it’s about the message it sends. This level of fine tells you that this behaviour is deemed costly and quite frankly unacceptable. Sometimes it does take drastic measures to get this message across.
“From a behavioural science perspective, presenting people with such a message triggers a response of shock, because of the sheer size of the fine. People then reason that if the fine is so big, the issue at hand must be of great importance or urgency.
“This is how you get people to pay attention and take action. No-one wants to be fined £1,000 for throwing away a £1 can of drink.”
Sign the petition and help us tackle litter at www.inyourarea.co. uk/dtof
JUST what is wrong with the Welsh Government?
More than £11m of taxpayers’ money was spent on an inquiry concerning the M4 relief road, only to be told what we already knew more than 20 years ago (and without spending £11m to be told so) that a relief road was imperative for Wales to encourage businesses here and to put Wales on the map.
And now, having decided to ignore their findings, and after finally getting rid of the toll fees on the Severn Bridge, for Mark Drakeford to now suggest a congestion charge.
Is he living in the real world or not?
The quicker we get this Labour Government out the better, for the sake of Wales.
Mrs DE Davies Whitchurch, Cardiff