I will be honest, the idea of picking up litter isn’t likely to be at the top of everybody’s list of favourite past times- including my own. After stumbling across a video of runners in Sweden enthusiastically picking up litter off the floor as they ran, it struck a chord with me. On my next run, every time I passed litter (which was sadly quite frequently), I thought ‘why shouldn’t I pick it up?’
None of us want to live in a world where our streets, parks, rivers or canals are strewn with rubbish. Yet the majority of us are guilty of passing rubbish believing it’s not our problem.
It dawned on me that seeing something which is a problem in the community is a bit like moving into a new house where the previous owners thought brown wallpaper was a good idea. You don’t like it, you didn’t put it there, BUT I am guessing you still choose to get rid of it.
So why, when it comes to our environment, do we adopt the mentality of: ‘I don’t like seeing litter, BUT I didn’t put it there, so why should I get rid of it!’
Litter is often viewed as something that is someone else’s responsibility to clean up. Yes, there are council workers and volunteer groups who work hard to try and keep our streets clean, but it can often seem like they are fighting a losing battle. If everyone took a little share of the responsibility of looking after the environment, then local councils and wildlife charities could focus their time and precious resources on other projects.
It doesn’t matter whether it is our home or on our streets, parks, rivers or canals- it all forms part of where we live.
So why not take a bag the next time you go for a run or walk and instead of just passing that crisp packet or drinks bottle on the floor, pick it up and pop it in the next bin you see or take it home to recycle!