Festivals and litter

[Abra1d]

I've just realised a connection between two things I hadn't connected before. Festivals such as Glastonbury and the increased amount of fly-tipping and littering in lanes and roads.

It's because people are now conditioned to throw litter on the ground instead of putting it in a bin, isn't it?

I looked at the pictures and was shocked.

I understand there are quite a few charities who work at these events clearing up afterwards - apparently loads of tents are just abandoned and they can be recycled and sent overseas to people who will really appreciate them.

Is it just me or is the thought of a weekend at Glastonbury or any other festival would be my worse nightmare ?

There are many bins at Glastonbury, hundreds of them , they have a team who decorate them. How do you know the fly tippers and litter throwers are the same people who go to festivals? You don't? The increase in fly tipping is because some people don't want to pay for non standard refuse collection , don't go blaming festivals

I'm not necessarily talking about people who tip sofas, but people who think it's acceptable to tip sandwich wrappers and bottles out of car windows. Something has changed in the last decade--there is more litter around. I just want to know why.

With you there Ragwort - a festival is my idea of hell

Nothing to do with festivals - they had loads of massive festivals in the 60s.

Far more likely (if you are talking about people chucking sandwich wrappers and pop bottles out of car windows) to be related to the fact that there is FAR more 'eating on the go' than there used to be.

Growing up, you ate at mealtime, in your own home, at a table.
Our High Street today is packed with fast food outlets, and people wandering along eating / drinking which was considered very common in the 70s.

I don't think it has anything to do with festivals

As a PP said, I think it's more to do with the rise in takeaway food, more people grabbing a sandwich and eating on the go, drive-thru, etc.

I don't think there's more litter around at all. There was much more litter in the 70s. When we went to Europe, we always remarked on how little litter there was abroad. Our European visitors always commented on how much litter there was in England.

I remember a few years ago going to the drive thru at McDonalds and we decided to park up in their car park to eat our food. My friend then threw all her rubbish out of the window on to the floor. When I tackled her about her about her response was that she was keeping someone in a job. I was shocked at her arrogant attitude and put it in the bin for her. I was so angry.

I don't mean that festivals are purposely encouraging littering, or that festival-goers are more likely to be litterers, more that it seems that large public gatherings seem almost to give up on trying to get people to use the bins and expect them to leave rubbish. As does Aintree, too, on Ladies Day. And cinemas, too, where people leave cups under their seats at the end.

This attitude then permeate people's behaviour in other areas--this sense that it's someone's job to pick it up.

Don't know if missing something but grow up in Somerset and Glastonbury was my idea of hell!

People are just lazy on the whole.

I don't even think that more people are throwing litter, 10 years ago councils had more money floating round to pay for full time crews to drive round picking up the litter. Now they have no money.

Can't comment on cinemas, but at outdoor events it's easier to bring in industrial litter sweepers at the end than keep on top of emptying bins constantly!

A mate of mine works picking litter at Glastonbury as it means he gets his ticket guaranteed and free incidentally.

I think that the increase in littering came before the festivals stopped caring about people dropping litter - the festivals' attitude to littering is an effect, rather than a cause.

I think people do drop litter more these days. Really noticeable in Scotland where people drop stuff all the time with impunity.

The odd sweet wrapper I might understand but I don't understand the mentality of dropping the entire contents of a McDonalds bag plus drink.

Festivals I can understand loads of plastic glasses but who leaves a bloody tent, lazy arses. Who's got the time to sort out a cheap muddy tent for the third world. No one.

I've always been astonished at the litter issue in the UK. When I first came here 20 years ago, one of the first things that struck me was the rubbish everywhere. It's not a new thing.

I don;t think festivals are at all to blame. There are loads of bins at Glastonbury, and the environment is much more in your face as you are outdoors most of the time. Many people are really conscientious about it.

Bins get full and overflow. A majority (guess) of the rubbish around here, central London, is from full bins, or bins that haven;t been emptied, left full, and covered over. So no bin. ANd of course, councils are cutting collection services everywhere.

I grew up with a "no littering" ethos drummed into me. There was a strong public message, and lots aimed at children - in NZ we were "Tidy Kiwis" from a very young age. I've never seen a similar consistent campaign in UK. I don't know if I can remember one public campaign about litter here.

I would never dream of littering - I think in big part to the constant messages that it was unacceptable and anti-social. And it is lovely, uplifting and good for us all to have clean streets, beaches and countryside.

I always ask my DC to put their own rubbish in the bin, or a pocket or bag they have is no bin is around. They give it to me as a last resort. Most of their friends, that I have seen, give their rubbish to their parents, or just drop it. At the park after school recently, a Mum just sat there and watched as her DS threw 3 pieces of snack/drink litter on the ground. (yes we watched and tutted lightly :)) I'm always seeing litter thrown out of cars, or dropped by pedestrians, people in parks etc - this is more of a problem IMO than festivals.

Oh and it goes hand in hand with fly tipping. THere is rubbish dumped outside our flats nearly daily - either by residents (rarely) and other residents close by. I hate it. I've come to think they want the rubbish out of their small flats which is understandable - there is no where to leave it unless it is a rubbish collection day, so they dump it "out of sight" - at our flats. :(

There isn't more litter about (I work in the business). You're just noticing it more. It happens; you were shocked by the amount you saw after the festival and now you're noticing.
People are pigs. They don't want everywhere to be dirty and horrible, they just want someone else to do their dirty work for them.

revealsall there are charities that go around collecting all the good quality tents left at festivals.

Tents are so cheap and most festival goers are so tired and/or wasted by the time they leave, I'm not surprised at all people do it - especially on a wet one.

Not that I would - but I can see why people do.

The price of your ticket will include clean up costs

I think people understand that?

I run half marathons where we throw our empty bottles down safe in the knowledge we have paid for it all to be cleaned up at the end

Doesn't mean we litter all the time

Keep Britain Tidy runs constant campaigns.
Love Where you live and The Big Tidy Up are two current ones.

I think it's time it was cracked down on with fines and prison sentences.

I must be living on a different planet to most of you, because I barely see any litter around.

I remember what London was like when I grew up in the 80's though, and there was a huge amount of litter around back then. But now I hardly ever see any.

Festivals, including very large ones, have been going on for more than the last decade. My dad went to several, including lots of one day ones, in the late 60s and early 70s.

So I don;t think the link is there tbh.

Right with you, Ragwort.

www.uknewsday.com/news/46860-glastonbury-festival-clean-up-begins-as-800-man-litter-team-and-magnetic-tractors-sweep-across-site.html

I think it's amazing how they festival organisers can put the whole show together and within a few days will make it look like no body was every there.