To think people who leave rubbish on public spaces laying around are people without education and respect for others and the environment

[Kerry987]

I am shocked by how many people in England don’t respect public spaces and leave rubbish on the street, beaches, parks, national parks, in general not disposing it properly.

I am think is very sad that In an advanced country like the UK there are still so many people who don’t respect the environment and others by leaving rubbish everywhere.

Should we have a big educational campaign? Does this happen in other advanced countries too?

A lot of people don't care about anything but themselves. I fail to see that when you have rubbish you can't just take it home if the bins are full.
I don't understand the sort of selfish mindset that would think let's just leave it at the park/beach/countryside/town etc. Do their mums still clean up after them?

@Crumpets111

Up here the Councils are so lazy they do not empty public bins leaving them overflowing.

The individual council staff are not lazy, but central government cut local council budgets and now there is not enough funding.

They knew many would just blame 'the council' for all the ensuing problems, so central government gets away with it.

Most council budgets have been massively slashed since 2010.

Popcorn face, it's awful. I'm with you, why would you trash a place you come to experience. I think at the moment there are people visiting the Highlands and the Lake District/Peak District who normally wouldn't bother - nature and the great outdoors probably not their usual environment. It's difficult to believe people don't understand that you shouldn't litter, but as pp suggested, they know fine well but just don't care.

I sometimes wonder if we've gone too far with the 'don't judge people' bit. Maybe a bit of public shaming would stop the litter louts. Although you'd probably just end up with an earful of abuse.

Definitely need a new anti litter campaign and start reinforcing the message in schools.

I channeled my inner old lady and told off an 11-year-old for throwing his KFC wrappers on the sidewalk. I told him to pick it up and watched while he did. Don't know what I would have done if he hadn't...

Obviously it's hard for authorities to catch them in the act but I think once caught the fine should be huge - £2000+ or 20+ hours community service picking up rubbish. That way the place gets cleaned up or the council gets some needed cash.

I've always been shocked by the litter. It simply would not occur to me to care so little for others that i wouldn't clear up my own mess. It's incredibly selfish and entitled.

I think there need to be cameras or signs saying there are cameras and fines. Worked for speeding.

Shocked at people “wild camping” not in camp sites - grim. This country is absolutely rammed.

Our local park is the favourite evening haunt for the laughing gas sniffers. Every morning there are at least 50 silver canisters, countless fast food cartons and plastic bottles, broken bottles, and metal bottle caps strewn all over the grass. The yobs sit in the car park and chuck their rubbish out of the windows, plenty of bins within feet.
They then drive off after inhaling the gas, its also apparently a popular dogging spot! I feel really sorry for the people living in the houses right next to the car park. Once upon a time living on a parks doorstep must have been ideal.

I agree it's grim. It's how you are brought up. We were taught put litter in a bin or take it home.
And don't get me started on people who throw fast food stuff out of cars.

It should be heavily fined. It's disgusting and dick behaviour. And then people wonder why there are massive rats around

Thing is, nobody I know would behave like this. There is definitely a sizeable sub-class in Britain, who just don't give a shit.
These stories make for depressing reading. I had hoped that people would learn something during lockdown - when the planet began to repair itself - but clearly not.

We don't need education for these selfish anti social arsewipes, we need to bring back stocks and public humiliation, and no, I am not joking.

Bet these same people would complain if they were looking forward to going somewhere and saw litter everywhere

Yanbu.
It's disgusting. Dirty nappies left on beaches, rubbish chucked on the streets, some people are revolting. I can't count the number of times I've seen people chucking rubbish out of their cars. You're in your CAR! it's a big box with plenty of room. There is zero excuse to throw rubbish out of it. Drive to a bin. Drive home and put it in your own bin!

Years back I saw someone in a car park open their car door, place their McDonald's rubbish on the floor and drive off.

They were in a car! A container capable of transporting rubbish! Also - the car park had three bins! (It was a complex with McDonald's, cinema etc.)

They had to drive past one of the bins to exit the bloody car park.

I cannot understand how their minds work.

Or if their minds work.

Meant to say, I live in a rural area popular with tourists. The amount of rubbish they leave thrown around is staggering.

And the number of fires they cause with their stupid BBQs.

They come here because it's pretty, its nature, it's tranquil.
So why the hell do they wreck it with their shit? Figurative and literal. 🤬. If it was still there the next time it came they'd be outraged on Facebook. Who do they think cleans up after them? Fairies?

Twats.

I think it's got worse. I don't know why really as it's such a basic consideration for others.
Occasionally I will remind groups of people to pick up their litter, and they then usually do. Being in a group of young people seems to make people really ignorant.

We have various play parks here and a baseball pitch. There is always rubbish in it and when those who use it were asked why they left their rubbish there, they said it was because it was where they ate their snacks.

There’s not much you can say to that level of stupidity and entitlement.

Kerry987

Should we have a big educational campaign? Does this happen in other advanced countries too?

I know its not the same but

In all the schools that I have worked in we always have had a rota by which all the registrations groups did litter duty. It was after all the pupils that littered so it was their job to clean up.

This doesn't happen now as so many parents complained about their children's human rights.

So now if you are seen dropping litter you are approached and if you don't pick it up it is a detention.

The result, most pick up there own litter, those same parents still complain about there children getting a detention for littering.

But then IMHO it is these same people that leave nappies and empty BBQs on beaches.

Without education, not necessarily. Many people who are quite formally educated are litter-bugs. Disrespectful of others and the environment, certainly. And of animals: recently, lots of litter was dumped in a meadow not very far from where I live, and a cow died from eating it and a few horses got sick. Really awful all round!

@BowlerHatPowerHat

Obviously it's hard for authorities to catch them in the act but I think once caught the fine should be huge - £2000+ or 20+ hours community service picking up rubbish. That way the place gets cleaned up or the council gets some needed cash.

This is just silly though, the non-payment of a fine that size would be common, so result in custodial sentence, and even supervising the community sentence would cost a fortune.

It would cost an absolute fortune to put this in place.

Cheaper to fund councils properly to clean up.

There is a petition here that links to a campaign by local newspapers. They want the fine increased to £1,000. www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/dont-trash-our-future/

People are less likely to litter in places where there are edible plants growing.

And in a more capitalist vein, deposits on containers make people value them more and less likely to leave them lying around. Though it also helps them think of it in terms of circularity, and not see things as disposable, as it can all be put to use in some way.

It's not about education at all. I've seen PhD students, medical and finance professionals litter in parks and gardens. I think it's because they know they can get away with it, and it doesn't affect them as it's often in places they're just visiting so it's not as if they will return to the same place. I'm in London, where parks do get cleaned up every few hours, and overflowing bins will still get emptied, so I wonder if they think of the park keepers in the same way as their cleaners or other staff, and that they're paid to clear up after them. I don't even think they care about how it spoils the environment, some people really aren't bothered about litter being about and will sit down in a littered area without clearing it themselves.