Litter Mars Our Communities, Countryside, and Beaches
What are we doing about it?
During the lockdown period, the streets were clear of litter, instead, the rabbits and deer could be seen nibbling on grass and luscious pollution-free leaves in Kirkcaldy.
Since the public was allowed to return to the shops the litter marring the streets and verges of Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland returned. From the motorway exit into the town down the steep hills to the beach, junk food containers and vessels, broken signage and traffic cones, and other detritus can be seen in the gutter, on walls, in hedges and blowing in the wind.
The human road sweepers clear the High Street of broken glass, cigarette butts, and abandoned polystyrene fast-food containers, daily.
Council grass verge mowers cut up all kinds of rubbish and then spews it out to the sides of the mown area.
Communities are encouraged by Zero Waste Scotland to create a Litter Prevention Action Plan. Fife Council encourages local businesses to educate staff with infographics from Zero Waste Scotland. It also refers the webpage reader to The Environmental Protection Act 1990.
Street and pavement cleaning standards are set by a Code of Practice included in the Environmental Protection Act 1990. This sets out the reasonable and acceptable standards of cleanliness, which we are expected to meet.
On googling the 1990 Act, the Clean Highways website seemed the likeliest link, this then refers the reader to Scotland has its own Litter Code of Practice, written in 2006.
Eighty-seven pages was about eighty-six pages too many to read. However, there was a link to the Litter Code Guide which upon clicking turned into Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Your charity for Scotland’s environment
So, the environment is a charitable cause. Seriously? Another fine example of the government absolving themselves of any responsibility. This approach doesn’t appear to be working, does it?
The first set of photos is from the top of the hill where the Fife Retail Park with a Costa Coffee, drive-thru KFC and McDonald’s and the John Smith Business Park are situated. The second set is from a walk up the hill that passes the general hospital.
Here’s an idea
All local supermarkets and junk food retailers which sell products in environment damaging containers and vessels must pay the council a litter tax until they start using biodegradable packaging. This must be enough to pay — yes pay — each member of a team of litter picking environmental warriors a decent salary.
Surrey County Council via Reed offers £18,670 per annum for a working week of twenty-four hours. Buckingham Futures has a job vacancy for an Environmental Enforcement Officer. Give unemployed locals a chance to earn an above the real living wage salary. None of this zero-hour contract nonsense.
In The Courier article by Craig Smith, Fife agencies put spotlight on poverty ahead of Challenge Poverty Week, MP Lesley Laird is vocal in her criticism of the current unemployment and poverty situations that thousands of locals are facing.
“High rates of unemployment and people’s increasing reliance on zero-hour contracts to pay essential bills and feed their families is destroying our communities.”
Eliminating low-paid work and abolishing Universal Credit must be top priorities in reducing chronic poverty in the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath area.
At 6.8% the number of Universal Credit claimants in the Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath area is almost double the equivalent UK rate of 3.7%.
To conclude
Assigning litter management to charities and the community is a long haul project. Seeing streets and beautiful spots marred by litter of any kind is a dismal image. A one-off community action does a great job but the space will indubitably be invaded by the litter louts who will be back spreading their environment destroying garbage patches.
Drastic measures are overdue. Action is required. Fines must be issued or taxes paid. Food retailers must embrace their responsibility to their community and the environment.