We’ll be rolling up our sleeves again

I READ your story about the upcoming “mass clean-up” (Cyprus Today, September 15) with both appreciation and a sinking heart.

Well done to those organising the Let’s Do It! World events — but as things stand, sadly, their efforts will be in vain in the medium term, as the other stories on the same page demonstrated.

I’ve taken part in litter-picks on both beaches and roadsides, but despaired after seeing the places we’d lovingly and laboriously tidied up quickly dirtied again. As the Environment Minister commented recently, having sent in his people to respond to complaints about debris at the Golden Beach in the Karpaz, almost as quickly as it was cleared, new garbage was dumped.

Ironically, the places which are spots of stunning beauty that attract visitors, such as that beach or the viewing point on the road above the Geçitköy reservoir, are among those most badly despoiled. I just don’t get why those who go there for their loveliness don’t also see the need to leave them that way.

Although it’s true that litter bins at these places are often insufficient and not emptied often enough, particularly after busy periods, it’s no excuse, since any fool should understand that they can take their bag of rubbish away with them, rather than just leaving it in situ to be ripped open by feral animals. Mind you, even that’s no guarantee of cleanliness, as we witnessed recently in the Karpaz, when a car apparently heading home after a day out slowed and wound the window down especially to throw a tied-up full carrier bag of trash on to the verge — my young son was outraged, but the adult occupants of the car clearly didn’t give a damn.

And there’s the rub: the younger generation may be starting to learn about the environment in school, but it could be years yet before their involvement tips the balance against this kind of casual littering. So, with sad inevitability, the clean-ups will be continuing, and those of us who take part will be rolling up our sleeves to get stuck in, again . . . and again . . . and again.