Litter . Keep Britain Tidy ?

I've stopped walking in the field opposite my home because it was bad for my blood pressure! The amount of people walking through the crop is unbelievable, and when I've said something I got blank or astonished stares as though they can't believe they've done anything wrong. People throw things into the crop for their dogs to retrieve too. That's our food that they're destroying. If I were a farmer I'd be so disheartened and annoyed. The footpath has been over-walked so much that it's now about 12 feet wide so it's perfectly possible to throw things for the dogs without it going into the crop. And why do they pick up the poo and then leave the bag hanging from the bushes? What sort of mentality thinks that's ok or even logical. I despair of the selfishness of people post-virus. I thought it was going to change people for the better but they seem to have become more selfish. A beauty spot near here has closed again as the rubbish left behind was disgusting, not to mention the fact of people using the bushes as toilets. If they don't want to pick up after themselves, what makes them think that other people want to do it for them. Sorry - rant over.

@ExD Hi, I too live in the Lake District well Whitehaven, there is a way you can post pictures, below where you are typing now there should be 3 boxes with `Choose File` in them just click there and add your pic
As regards, folk leaving waste behind my biggest gripe is folks that leave their `dog mess` then Blind folk like myself who rely on a `White Cane` come along, it isn't funny I have to beware I don't drag dog crap into my own house, cafes, shops buses and all because of selfish mindless lazy folk

I've noticed the lack of litter in our street since the schools were closed so that points at major culprits. There is always litter left in the street on bin collection day and I try and pick up anything in the immediate vicinity, even if it's not escapees from my bins. What doesn't help is that we have to put our recycling out the evening before collection to avoid getting up at silly o'clock in the morning, and because the bins are open, litter gets blown out of the bins if it's windy weather. Quite agree that lazy litter louts should be put into stocks and pelted with their rubbish, and then made to clear it up afterwards.

I used to work in a JMI school and all children from Reception to Year 6 were expected to keep the classroom and school tidy.
It was not expected that teacher would do it.
The classroom was tidied and clean in rapid speed as the children competed with each other but the hallways were a different matter. This is where they hung their coats and changed their shoes. Shoes were just either left where they changed them or chucked in the vague directed of where they should be in their hurry to get back into the classroom. Not all children but it was obvious which children were used to putting their shoes away !
In my daughters case her secondary school followed this through and hopefully many will still be using this habit. Unfortunately my daughter would never drop or leave rubbish around outside but she is now in her 20's and her room is a real mess. Where did I go wrong?

The litter I have seen on footage of beach revellers in the last couple of weeks is appalling but what else can you expect - everyone who has been to a beach has flouted the public health advice about social distancing and that betrays a particular type of personality that sticks two fingers up to authority so picking up their litter and taking it home is the last thing in their mind a - this is living in a democracy as opposed to a dictatorship - in countries where people are being told what to do on a daily basis and where tourism matters to the economy there are stiff and enforced penalties for littering and indeed for breaking any other rule. It’s all a question of the personal freedoms people think they have and sometimes that extends to leaving an eyesore - I still see people throwing litter out of cars!

Very interesting, Blondie and your last remark opens up a can of worms. ?
Thing is we have to start somewhere. And we have to work with what we’ve got. In an ideal world everybody would take their litter home. But how do they know to do this ?
When we grow up we assume everyone does what we do and then we visit more people and see different homes.

Some ideas :
Lead by example
Explain why it’s necessary
Messages on tv, motorways, school
Change packaging
Pay for cleanup
Punish

Form a Gn army. We have all the wisdom of years on here .
??????????????

I live in a small village between 2 towns, and it’s quite disheartening how many plastic sandwich boxes, crisp packets, drinks bottles etc are flung out of car windows here as people drive through.

Obviously people eating a ‘working lunch’ in their cars, because it didn’t happen when lockdown first started, but now more are back at work it’s happening again.

A friend lives near a canal, and says the amount of litter, and, unbelievably, human waste is vile.

I find this so depressing - not only are people going to beautiful places and trashing them but they don't seem to think there is any harm in it. We need a Keep Britain Tidy Campaign, and both parents and teachers need to make sure the children understand. Kids need to educate their parents a lot of the time. And we need on the spot fines, with litter police if necessary. Or we just close some beaches - there is already enough crap being washed up on shores anyway. I really feel for those who live in areas which attract this disgusting kind of human.

When I was about 10 I went on a school trip, we stopped on a village green and had a packed lunch. When we went back to the coach my friend and I left our rubbish on the green. The teacher picked it up and once on the coach asked everyone to hold up the remains of their packed lunch, of course my friend and I couldn't and received the tongue lashing I have never forgotten. Since that day if having a picnic I always check the area before leaving to ensure nothing is left behind and if I accidentally drop something I always pick it up. Unfortunately these days a teacher would not be allowed to "shame" a child in that way - although with us it worked!

BRING ON NEW AND UPDATED 'KEEP BRITAIN TIDY'

Someone earlier mentioned fining takeaways if their rubbish is thrown down. That might be a fair point for some, but I will say that we have a McDonalds fairly close and they do regularly clear up the pavements within a good distance from their premises - I often see their staff out when I’m walking past. They also have the only waste bins on that very busy two mile stretch. On the other hand I’ve picked up their bags and cups three miles away, thrown out of cars.

Some years ago I was in Geneva and a person threw cigarette packet on the ground. policeman appeared and he was fined on the spot.
When I came back to England after twelve years in Europe I was disgusted at the amount of litter everywhere. If other countries can be litter free why can’t we.

Apparently we are not supposed to pick up litter for health and safety reasons,that is what i was told by the local council.
I ,dh and step d were walking around Cannock Chase and the litter was horrendous,and there was only one bin which was full so i think the Council are at fault on this occasion for not emptying on a regular basis.

I taught my kids if there isn't a bin nearby put rubbish in your pockets or bring it home. Even now with the GS we stand up, tidy up and do a last check before we walk off. This really is a blame it on the parents issue, kids learn by example.
I work in a country park and the mess people leave is appalling, they either just get up and leave it or can't be bothered to put it in a bin. We litter pick as a team and also have wonderful volunteers that help us. It doesn't stop people having a go at US for the litter - we didn't drop it!

I completely agree that litter is an absolute scourge. Just one more thing to make me ashamed of this country.
We live very near to a big playing field where crowds of people have been picnicking. On the ground beside the bins there were huge piles of litter, which got scattered by the many dogs scavenging.
Why couldn't the picnickers take their litter home?
I'm a member of a local litter-picking group, but we haven't been working during lockdown. This thread has reminded me to contact the leader and suggest that we should maybe start again, socially distancing of course.

Always take my litter home with me but very wary of picking up anbody else's nowadays for some of the reasons mentioned above. A practice I noticed in the US was various companies adopting a stretch of highway and the staff regularly taking time to go out and litter pick, might work here maybe?

I live within a few hundred yards of the edge of a moorland fire. This was started by a disposable BBQ ( that is obviously wrong, it was started by the user) I have watched for several days helicopters water bombing the fire and one day of watching 4 fire engines driving up and down our lane every 1/4 hr presumably to deliver water. How much has this cost? will the person responsible bear the cost. I expect it will all go on the water rates.
On another point. I have to get in my car and drive 1/4 mile to put my rubbish in the refuse bin. The bins for this area are often full with rubbish brought by people from surrounding areas. I suppose we should be thankful that they are putting their rubbish bags in the bins and not next to them.

In Austria we were amazed at the spotless state of the town. We left the hotel one day and saw a drink can in the gutter opposite - it stood out like a beacon. By the time we had bought a newspaper and walked back, minutes later, it was gone. The lake was as clear as drinking water and shopkeepers washed the fronts of their premises, and the pavement, every morning before opening. (As they do in Holland and France in my experience) Trains were clean - the tired looking youth opposite us put his feet up, having removed his shoes and placed a magazine on the seat. Why can't we do this? Are we so lazy and dirty as a nation?

In the large city near me they introduced "litter wardens" - there was a huge outcry and accusations of being "Nazis". One person who was issued with a fine complained to the local paper saying all they had done was throw a cigarette packet in the direction of the nearby waste bin, others complained all they did was drop a cigarette end. There was even advice on how to avoid paying any fine. With those attitudes what chance is there of a second Keep Britain Tidy campaign being successful

A couple of years ago l was riding my bike when l was overtaken by a car, a greasy half eaten bag of chips landed in front of me, thrown from the passenger window. A few minutes later l caught up said car at the traffic lights. The window still down, l asked the young man who did he think was going to pick up his rubbish. I was told to F* OFF ! ???

I have just asked my son what he does with his cans when he and his friends meet on the foreshore for a bevy. Somewhat surprised he answered, "I put them in the bin of course." Further discussion revealed he also insists his friends put their rubbish in the bin.
When he was a little boy, one of the only times he got into real trouble was when he threw his rubbish into the pond where there were swans and ducks after specifically being told not to because he could put it in the bin when we saw one. After he recovered from his shock of me being so cross, I explained to him what it did to the wildlife and he didn't do it again. My other children were also brought up not to litter. It is up to their parents to teach them adequately when they are young the reasons for not being a litter lout. Schools can back that up but most real lessons for things like this come from role modelling by the parents.

I think the litter is especially bad at the moment because those of us who normally pick up litter where we see it are reluctant to do so because of cross infection. I usually take a plastic bag with me on a walk to collect litter but not at the moment. I wish people could be educated with a bit of civic pride.

People who leave litter or fly tip are utterly beyond my comprehension. I once saw a sign by a motorway exit which said DON’T BE A TOSSER, and thought it was a great anti litter slogan, but it doesn’t seem to be in use.

It has been so lovely down on the coast during lock down. The beaches and cliff tops have been so clean and we have enjoyed our regular walks. Over the past two weeks the rubbish left behind has really been noticeable. Understandably people bring their own food and drinks but once the bins are full they leave their rubbish in plastic bags at the side. If the bins are not cleared immediately they are ripped open by foxes, gulls and rats. If they come by cars why can't they take the rubbish home with them? On our last walk we had to step out into the road to avoid all the left over food and rubbish scattered across the pavement.

Sorry teachers, but I think children should be taught from an early age to tidy up after themselves until it becomes ingrained in them to tidy up.
What are the homes of these litter louts like? Are they free of mess because they dump it elsewhere? Or do they live in pig styes?