Stop littering the countryside!

One of the things I have observed from my recent countryside walks is litter and I have been shocked by the quantity and diversity of discarded items from coffee cups to hats and dog poo bags to disposable masks.

There is little worse than visiting a beautiful place and seeing litter; it detracts from the inspiration the place should give us.

George Monck, the Chief Executive of CleanupUK

Why do people throw litter in the countryside?

Is it a lack of bins? Or is it just carelessness when a disposable mask falls out of a pocket? Or is it laziness that makes someone chuck a poo bag into the branches of a tree? Whatever the reason, litter has a detrimental impact on the beauty of our countryside for other walkers as well as wildlife. The RSPCA receives 7000 calls each year about litter-related incidents including hedgehogs with their heads wedged in empty tins.

What can we do to keep our green spaces clean?

1. Take ALL of your litter home with you including dog poo bags.
2. Use bins provided. If a bin is already full, bring your litter home or find another empty bin. Leaving a rubbish bag beside a full bin is just an invitation to birds to open the bag and scatter the contents.
3. Be careful that litter such as sweet wrappers and used face masks don’t fall out of your pockets.
4. Pick up rubbish you find – carry a bag and protective gloves for litter-picking emergencies.
5. Spread the word – even just share this post on your social media feed to highlight the plight of litter on the countryside.

We can all do something to reduce the amount of litter in the countryside and restore our country walks to the way they should be. Instead follow the Countryside Code to “leave no trace of your visit and take all litter home”.