This is rubbish.Literally.

It’s everywhere, we use the A1 regularly, it makes my heart hurt to see all the litter along the verges, and it feels like it has got so much worse in the last few years. What is wrong with people?

Fine the offenders heavily. That’s the only way they will stop. It is probably the same few doing it over and over again. It’s not so much of a problem here, people ‘dob ‘ offenders in. However, when you go to countries like Singapore which are so very clean you realise that extreme punitive measures do work!

I know we try to improve society but we really do throw the baby out with the bath water. When I was newly married all households cleared the outside of their homes. Regardless if it was a flat or a house we lived in. We cleared the snow and any litter found although litter was seldom found as we didn’t eat or drink outside in those days. Now I see adults and children eating and drinking outside. I’m thinking bad manner and creating litter comes when money is easily come bye.
Of course we don’t want to revert to times when money was so tight but there was something to learn from past times. We’re told money is tight just now - well how come we have so much fast food packaging thrown from cars and by children coming from school?
I don’t know the answers but I do know money is tight for many.

While I agree - there really should be no litter - and so no need for litter picking etc - it is so lovely to hear that it does annoy so many of us. All we can do is not litter and when possible clear any we see - lots of opportunities for this - take a glove and spare bag routinely with you for ad hoc, join your local/neighbourhood groups and pick with them - do something with this www.awarenessdays.com/awareness-days-calendar/the-great-british-spring-clean-2023/#:~:text=When%20is%20The%20Great%20British,the%20environment%20on%20our%20doorstep!

It will only get worse as each council bring in restrictions. Soon I will have to book a 15 min slot to take waste to the dump and if I'm late arriving I will be turned away and have to re-book. I am prepared to do this but how many people just won't bother and just fly tip? Today my local paper reported 15 sacks dumped in the woods on the edge of town. Shocking and that's before the restrictions come into place.

I take a carrier bag with me each day when I walk the dog and I collect and put in nearest bin or bring it home with me. Every little bit helps.

A friend and I frequently walk through Ruislip woods. The Lido has plenty of bins and is kept pretty clean, but there are no bins in the woods. At this time of year (I hope I’m not tempting providence) there’s very little litter, but whenever we have a bank holiday the ubiquitous “they” leave neat little piles of drink cans, nappy bags and poo bags. Few food wrappers, so I can only imagine that they bring food in containers they need for next time. Words (printable words) fail me!

What sort of people are they , I don’t know anyone who would dream of leaving litter or throwing stuff out of a car window. It drives me crazy to see our beautiful country in such a state. I’m always picking up cans and other litter when I’m out walking. There was a very effective slogan I believe in New Zealand which was DON’T BE A TOSSER, but apparently it was consider too offensive for us. I once picked up a pile of litter in a car park where someone had just dumped all their junk. Amongst this was an envelope containing £15. Poetic justice?

I live quite near a large University. Litter and damage in the park is always worse when the Uni is on session. It is adults who don't teach their children to put litter in a bin. Maybe they don't do it themselves. But I think alcohol has a great deal to answer for in relation to the damage done to benches, swings and even trees in our local parks.

I was shocked to see the extent of what I would call household rubbish (bin bags) litter (sweetie papers etc) and even things like old soiled mattresses or household appliances just left on verges in the countryside when last I was in Scotland.

In Denmark we rant on about sandwich paper, disposable cups, dog dirt and the like left on pavements and in woods and parks, but mattresses? fridges?

We do not pay a charge when we go to the municipal dump with anything and everything that the bin-men won't take - nor do we receive money for it, which is fair enough, as we don't want soiled mattresses, defunct household appliances and hedge clippings, but is this part of your problem?

Are your municipal dumps expensive, hard to access? Or are we merely seening the effect of the last two or three generations not having been taught to take their litter home with them and to dispose properly of unwanted household goods?

Here councils and volunatry organisations have started "clean-up weekends" once or twice a year, where those who are able and willing go along to designated places and collect rubbish sacks, gloves and tools for picking things up and then to a locality, such as the verges of a road, a wood , or a beach to pick up rubbish.

Schools and kindergartens run competitions with small rewards for the class that collects most rubbish, making sure that the place and what they are likely to find there is suitable for the different age groups to deal with.

This makes children aware of the problem and teaches them to take their litter to the nearest bin.

It’s all so upsetting.

sussexbylines.co.uk/is-the-uk-the-litter-lout-of-europe/

A lot in the sma road where I live comes from folk overfilling their bins, then when being emptied some falls off and goes off in the wind. Do agree though litter on A and M roads seems to be increasing. A lot of it is takeaway bags and boxes.

I commented to DH, whilst out a couple of days ago, on the amount of litter at sides of roads and embankments. Think it was worst ive ever seen it. An awful lot of large sheets of plastic hanging on shrubs and trees.. Wondered if it was in part from road works that seem to be everywhere at the moment. Not good for our wildlife.

I've been part of a local litter-picking group for years, and I have to say that things have actually improved over that time. It is now rare to find whole Macdonalds take-away debris. But people still use portable barbecues on the sports field locally, so that the grass beneath is killed. I think those aluminium barbecue kits should be banned .
But I absolutely agree about the state of the main roadsides.

I think things have definitely become worse in the last few years. I drive fairly frequently along the M6 and am horrified by the state of the verges. In California the have a system whereby local companies adopt a stretch of freeway and keep the verges on both sides clean, with a board advertising this (free publicity for them). On my last trip by train (pre lockdown) with Transport for Wales the verges were disgusting - surely a danger if the litter blows on to the rails.

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It’s interesting that, although schoolchildren are regularly subjected to lectures and reminders about not dropping litter in the playground, or anywhere else, ‘ litter monitors ‘ are
still sent out to clear the playground in some schools, when there really should be no need. My family have reminded me that I shouldn’t remonstrate with people when I see them dropping litter, so now I sometimes just pick it up murmuring
‘ I’ll put that away, shall I? ‘ Yesterday, I bent to pick up a paper cup in the middle of the pavement, then realised that it had some coins in it. It belonged to the beggar sitting on the roadside! I saw him again today. He obviously leaves it there so that it’s more obvious to passers by.

Whenever we travel anywhere we're astounded by the amount of litter by the roadside.
Maybe a national litter pick weekend?and publicity campaign about stopping littering every 6 months might help?

It's heartening to know so many of you feel the same and are out there litter picking. But we really shouldn't need to do it in the first place.I have just visited my very elderly mum in her care home which is next to a high school. The grounds near the school exit are awash with crisp packets ,cans etc.Next time I go a I'm going to chat to the staff that supervise their exit and ask if there's any chance they could remind the pupils as they leave not to litter And maybe do a clean up.As the weather improves and I take mum our in a wheelchair for a change of scene its horrible to see.The care home tidies up every now and then but it's not their rubbish and the staff have more than enough to do.

I remember from my childhood the campaign "Keep Britain Tidy" which was started in the 1950s (I think it was initiated by the WI). We wouldn't have dreamt of dropping litter in those days. Dreadful these days. In my town during lockdown the local cricket club allowed people to use the cricket ground to enjoy on sunny days. In the end they had to stop this privilege beacause of the litter left from picknicking. A few people spoiling it for everyone else.

When we were at primary school in the 1960’s it was drilled into us not to so much as drop a sweet wrapper, that has always stuck with me. I taught my children and now my grandchildren that it is unacceptable to drop rubbish but it seems many people just don’t care. Im not one for takeaway fast food but if I do ever succumb & there are no bins around I just leave the litter in a carrier bag in the boot of my car and throw it away when I get home. Remember the state of the beaches when the lockdown rules were lifted, it cost a fortune to clear piles of litter including hundreds of plastic bottles, coffee cups & empty cans. Its awful to see & it seems to be getting worse.

Sorry but this starts at an early age, children should be taught by parents, we had a bin in the car to place sweet papers etc, on picnics everything was taken away with us, this stick with me even today and I’m in my 70s

What would the reaction be if tons of litter suddenly appeared on the ground surrounding Highgrove or other royal residences?

We used to have litter picking days in our town but I think the man who organised them has died and nobody wants his voluntary job.
I joined it a couple of times and it was actually good fun. We were clearing the local duck pond and riverside area. We were all issued with tongs and gloves, bags and barrows. Some of the team dredged the old mill lade and fished out a number of car batteries and the obligatory shopping trolley. Several young men were doing community service as in it was supposed to be a punishment. They got really stuck in!

High time there was another session.

We live on a new build estate. The builders often empty their vans leaving the remains of lunch packets/bottles when they drive away. Only a little at a time and you never see them do it, but it does build up after a while. I often had to clear the area of road in front of my house whilst they were working nearby. What is also sad though is a lot of house owners dont even pick up rubbish left outside the front of their own houses .
Another problem is the bin men, on bin day there is always rubbish/recycling left around. I can't understand why one of the bin men can't follow behind the van to pick up any odds and ends that accidentally fall out.

I'm not sure what the significance of the Royal Palaces is ?And yes they have staff to tend the gardens but as a big supporter of all things to do with the wildlife and the environment and hedgerow expert I'm sure Charles wouldn't be averse to using a litterpicker himself.My biggest annoyance is reserved for those that drop it in the first place.Wherever that may be.