The Lonely Litter Picker

The Lonely Litter Picker

Tanya Laird first noticed that Gloucester has a litter problem whilst walking her dog Ikey. Since then she has made it her mission to do something about the issue and now picks up rubbish on every dog walk and regularly organises group litter picks with other like-minded volunteers. After registering with Gloucester City Council as a volunteer, Tanya was provided with a litter picking stick and regularly gets plastic bin bags. When she has filled the bags, they are left at designated spots to be picked up and disposed of by the council. Though crisp packets, plastic bottles and cans do fade somewhat in the sun, many are older than they initially appear. Quick checks of expiry dates on packaging can reveal litter that has been stuck in hedgerows for decades. As soon as it is picked up, more appears, either brought downstream by the river, or dropped fresh by people carelessly discarding their rubbish without thinking of the consequences. To collect it all is a seemingly endless and thankless task. As well as being unsightly, litter poses many serious threats to the environment. It is well-known that plastics take hundreds of years to bio-degrade, and are often mistaken as edible by unsuspecting wildlife. Metal cans and glass bottles can become sharp and dangerous when broken by grass cutters. Cigarette butts, the biggest source of litter, also contaminate the ground and water table with many harmful chemicals. While picking up litter by the bagful is a well-meaning attempt at finding a solution to the problem, the real difference will only come when the general public change their attitudes.

Some of the litter that is often found along the banks of the river running through the Wesgate area of Gloucester. Areas near busy roads are also hotspots for litter thrown out of vehicles.

“People think that because Gloucester is inland, that the problem of plastic and litter in the oceans is not our responsibility. But the river runs straight through here. Every time it floods it picks up all the rubbish on the banks and carries it straight into the sea.”

~ Tanya Laird The Lonely Litter Picker

Many people will drop litter without even thinking about it, and Tanya is not afraid to confront anybody she sees doing so. She is passionate about getting people to think about the impact of their actions and believes that our current throw-away, disposable lifestyle is completely unsustainable. While living completely waste-free in modern-day society seems almost impossible, simple changes can be made to reduce our individual rubbish production. Things such as using refillable water bottles and coffee cups, refusing plastic straws and buying vegetables that haven’t been pre-packaged can help to reduce the problem somewhat. Any inevitable waste that we do produce should be separated, and as much as possible should be sent to recycling.

An estimated 62% of people in England drop litter, with much fewer actually bold enough to admit to it. Clearing it all up is costing tax payers in the country over £1billion each year.