Rubbish

Totally agree Riverwalk, this discarded mask situation is a disgrace, it must be happening everywhere. Another of my pet hates is discarded pizza and takeaway boxes, think people are too lazy to put them in a waste bin.

I don`t think anyone else has said this...
but my opinion is that we are too soft..

ie. heavy fines, more to the point, find the culprits of these "lazy people" and give them court order that they do a long clean up job....

I really do not see what the problem is there..

our justice system is soft to the extreme.

The UK, and England in particular is one of the dirtiest countries in Europe.

I recall an older gent being interviewed on the TV about whether he fancied going on a foreign holiday or not - his reply was - "definitely not, they're all dirty countries".

The 'visitors' to the Lake District in particular have clearly demonstrated that Brits are just dirty, and disrespectful of the environment. Because of that attitude, a camp site in Borrowdale is being forced to close for 2 or 3 weeks now, after the mess left by the 'staycation brigade'.

I don't think the idea of messy holidaymakers, or throw away society is new. But, the idea of "I want it now", and "what's in it for me" is the mantra that began to grow exponentially from 1979/80 - a bit like a virus.

I really thought that (before the covid crisis) people were becoming more aware of the damage plastic litter does to the environment and the food chain. In my village in the Midlands, a group of young families are organising lots of recycling schemes for different types of packaging.
Somehow, though, as soon as tory people start breaking rules, a lot of others seem to think it's ok to do what they want.
Just like xenophobia increased after the brexit vote. Sad times.

polnan - our justice system is soft to the extreme

I don't believe making sentences harsher will change peoples' attitudes that easily. The make it tougher for 'em approach has failed in so many areas - it's a bit like saying bring back hanging that'll stop murders, because of the deterrent effect.

That didn't work at all.

railman Thatcherism

Yes that is a pet peeve of mine..how thick these people are!

Since a lot of today's parents seem to be unable to show a good example to their children, then - sorry teachers- should take the children once a week round the school environment picking up litter so it becomes second nature!

So much stuff these days is cheap to buy, so that it means nothing to possess it because it is easy to replace.
If you think of your parents and yourself as a child, how you used to have to save up for just about everything that you really wanted. Then came HP - but that was frowned on by many as you were looked down on if you used the facility, rather than waiting and saving.
The banks produced credit cards for all - so just about anything could be purchased, you could take it homeor have it delivered just about straight away! Did that make you value it anymore? No, because there was always another one that you could buy in a few weeks time - the financial side was shoved in one corner!
Things like body boards etc will often only be used during that particular holiday, so not seen as worth taking home.
Maybe each beach resort should have an area that items like this can be left in to either be resold (donation to a charity such as RNLI) or I'm sure that someone would come up with an idea of how they could be re-used as something else.

I despair at what the British public are becoming. We must be the most undisciplined race in the world. There is no self discipline, parental discipline, school discipline, or social conscience. If decisions are made that we don't agree with, we demand another answer, and seem to get it. I am glad that I am this age, and not younger. I wish they would bring back National Service to instill some kind of responsibility into people. Rant over.

It’s the same with disposable bbqs. They shouldn’t be sold if people cannot be responsible. I help to do a litter pick around where I live. I get disheartened every time when I see the litter people drop and often only within a few yards of a litter bin.

helgawills - agree with both your posts.

The damage Thatcherism has done to the country has been immense, and the efforts of so many people in trying to reduce the environmental damage we are causing continues to be undermined by the monetarist brigade daily.

It is as you say, very sad.

jaylucy Maybe each beach resort should have an area that items like this can be left in to either be resold (donation to a charity such as RNLI) or I'm sure that someone would come up with an idea of how they could be re-used as something else.
I think I read somewhere or heard on BBC Spotlight they are used for beehives, but I'm not sure in what respect.

Nagmad2016
Absolutely agree with everything you say. I really despair. There’s always an excuse made for people behaving irresponsibly and it’s always someone else’s fault. In the mad politically correct world we now live in any attempt to suggest people take responsibility is often met with the response of you’re sexist, homophobic, racist, a bully or whatever. I give up!!!

Absolutely disgusting, I would say they act like animals but that would be insulting to animals.
Where are the authorities with backbone to take down details of beach visitors ?
When we stayed in Germany and on an island we had to purchase tickets for the beach and were clocked on and off, your ticket was stamped even if you were just visiting the conveniences. Our holiday residence was known to the authorities and we were traceable for any misdemeanour on our part.

Agreed. Also although festivals are mostly not happening this summer they are another example of the “ dump it “ mentality. 2 years ago I drove past the Boardmaster festival site near Newquay just as the event had finished. The entire area was strewn with small tents which people buy with the express intention of leaving behind so they don’t have to bother packing them up and carrying them. This was at a time when the news was full of refugee camps in Calais and around the world where desperate people had no form of shelter ( and very little else)

I think we have always been a lazy, dirty nation as far as disposing of rubbish is concerned and the current situation has only made it worse. A year or two ago I spent a few months in Japan and was famous Bullet Train passengers would walk the length of the compartment to deposit their litter in the bin. I wonder what the Japanese think of us when they come to England.

Sorry, typing error but I hope you could understand it.

What is it that people think others should clear up after them? Just look at music festival sites after a weekend, and now we’re getting it on our beaches and beauty spots. I know we are always being told there are not enough police to stop it, but it’s about time councils employed litter wardens to report, photograph and shame these horrible people.

teachers- should take the children once a week round the school environment picking up litter so it becomes second nature!
*Gwenisgreat^ I think pupils do learn about the environment and how to care for it, at least in primary school.
At my DGD's school two Y6 pupils were appointed as environmental officers including supervising the disposal of waste by others into the correct recycling bins. They gave presentations that they had prepared to the whole school.

I expect these lazy types would be the first to walk down the local high street with a placard about climate change but don't bother about the practical application of taking their rubbish home with them.

The damage Thatcherism has done to the country has been immense, and the efforts of so many people in trying to reduce the environmental damage we are causing continues to be undermined by the monetarist brigade daily.


That was 40 years ago! The streets were filthy and piled with rubbish when Mrs T came into power, I remember it well. It was a relief when they were cleaned up when the strikes ended.

This has got dramatically worse again in the last few years.
At least there was Tidy Britain campaign in those days, which superseded the Keep Britain Tidy campaign.
I'll take a guess that most of these litter lots today werent even born then.

I do wonder & worry about what sort of world my DGC will be living in when they are grown! They are being taught respect for people, animals & the world but so many do not seem to be taught anything but disrespect! Will there even be a world for them to live in when they grow up or will it have been destroyed by their parents before then? Will they be living on top of mountains of plastic with no oceans, rivers, trees or fields? Very scary thought & I am glad, maybe a selfish thought, that I will no longer be alive to see this happen. Sorry for the rant but no one else listens to my ramblings!

Well lots of despair, what is to be done about it? How about cctv, see who actually does it, including all the camping/festival events. Prosecute them, fine them hugely. It makes me angry so much so the stocks might be a good idea, photos of miscreants on TV.
As a dog owner, have never understood the poo bag hurl, take it home with you errrgh!

SillyNanny
I think the message is out there but the world seems to be divided into two these days - those who care and those who don't give a damn.

It has nothing to do with political affinity either.