Across the country litter is often considered an unsightly and unnecessary issue. There is no need to really drop litter. Yet is has become so present on our streets that litter clear up campaigns have increased in popularity and local authorities have to spend large amounts of money on trying to keep our streets clean and tidy.
It might be the minority who think its ok to drop litter but what can we do about it as a society?
Firstly, when asked why someone drops litter the most common reply is that there are no litter bins around to use. Surprisingly 48% of the popu
lation admit to dropping litter! It is true that when walking down a street or through a park or the countryside it is often hard to locate a litter bin, or at least one that isn’t over flowing. Many of us will probably be a little disgruntled, but then resume our day by stuffing our rubbish in a coat pocket or bag to empty when home.
An easy solution would be to place more litter bins effectively so that everyone has the chance to bin it and not drop it!
Prevention is Priority…
Here is a little guidance if you are choosing outdoor litter bins to be used on private or public premises:
- Think of the Bin Presence and Position – for instance is the litter bin visible and in the best location for it to used. You need to entice the public to use the bin and make it convenient for them to do so.
- Bin Capacity – simply is the bin the right size. If the area where the litter bins are situated has a high amount of foot fall then a larger bin will be required, otherwise a smaller bin will have to be emptied more often for rubbish to not over spill.
- Bin Suitability – does the design fit the use of the litter bin and is it easy to use and service. There are many types of litter bins to choose from so take time to look at them all.
- Bin Access – how easy is it to use the bin, is there anything blocking the path to or from the bin, and if positioned on a street is it safe to use with passing traffic without blocking walkways.
Follow this guidance and you are more likely to correctly choose and locate the litter bin of your choice and in doing so will help prevent rubbish being dropped so frequently.
If you are interested in taking part in litter picking in your community then we suggest you take a look at the information on the following websites:
www.litteraction.org.uk
www.keepbritaintidy.org