Bit by bit

IN his poem The Waste Land, first published in 1922, T. S. Eliot lists the rubbish found in the Thames; ‘empty bottles (glass), sandwich papers, silk handkerchiefs, cardboard boxes and cigarette ends’. A century later and you will still encounter many of these (apart, possibly, from silk handkerchiefs) all marring our appreciation of the natural world—but, if Eliot was writing today, he would have to include discarded plastic. The next time you go on a walk, set a wonderful example and take a litter picker and a strong bin bag. A bag hoop is useful on a windy day. I truly believe that, if we all do our bit, we can begin to make a difference.

Keith Allden, by email