Littering

Littering is really easy, it's actually throwing away things in a bin that's hard, first you have to carry the litter with you until you find a bin, then throw it inside, sounds easy but there are so many people that just drop litter without thinking of others.

I remember in junior school we would have constant assemblies on the issue of litter, the headmaster would yell at everyone to "throw their crisp packets in the bin" and maybe for that reason I hate littering, in fact I find it hard to make myself litter, it just doesn't come naturally at all, even today I carried an empty sandwich wrapper for ages until I found a bin.

I think that littering is what lazy people do, they just can't be bothered to wait a couple of minutes to find a bin. I remember being shocked that one of my friends dropped a sweet wrapper on the floor when she was stood right next to a bin, at the time I didn't know how to react, I didn't want to say anything and risk looking pathetic, but then again leaving it on the floor seemed to go against everything I believe. In the end I think I just called her a litterbug and this made her feel guilty enough to pick it up. I think that's probably the answer, guilttripping people into picking up litter, they know it's wrong, everyone does.

Although sometimes it is easier just to throw something on the ground, I mean they pay people to clean things up, right? Also it's not really a crime, more of a minor bad deed, and why not do it? It's the equivalent of speeding, not too much of a big thing.

And then it's how you define littering, is it dropping the plastic cup on the floor at a gig? Or what if a straw wrapper flies from your hands and falls on the floor. Would you walk back to pick something so insignificant up off of the floor? I don't think that I would. But now there are fines if you are caught littering, maybe a fine would make you change your mind.



References
http://www.redcar-cleveland.gov.uk/Recyclin.nsf/WebFullList/6C69D3C81CF266B080256ECF003465D3?OpenDocument

http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/litteringhttp:/

www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/skegness/news/75-fine-smokers-don-t-bin-cigarette-butts/article-964776-detail/article.html