An item on the news last month, explained further changes to the law in relation to fly tipping. This follows on from a segment on another BBC programme, Watchdog, whereby fly tippers were breaking into derelict land and then dumping van loads of waste before heading off into the sunset with a tipper truck full of cash.
It is expected that the clean-up bill for the entire country will reach £100 million this year, industrial sized fly tipping results in vast swaths of the country side covered with hazardous materials including food and raw meat, which in turn attracts and creates further hazards.
Also, in the news recently there has been an overview of life in Singapore. It is well known they have a chewing gum ban, but they also have a proactive attitude towards waste. During the hot weather litter attracts flies and mosquitos, which in turn spreads dengue fever. By keeping the streets clean by controlling waste with a combined state and personal responsibility, reducing the risks for the many.
Maybe, the UK can learn from other countries across the globe. The rapidly growing bill for the clean-up could be channelled into helping pay for the correct disposal streams for waste items in the first place. The build-up of plastic in our oceans is not due to production, it’s down to disposal. If the waste is not thrown into our rivers and seas, the resulting oceans of plastic, can be avoided.
At the world cup in Russia, fans from across the globe showed a different attitude to how they left the stadium, fans from Japan and Senegal cleaned up after themselves. If you have ever been to a UK based festival, the carpet of rubbish that is spread across the ground at the end of the day is usually greeted with, that’s OK, people get paid to clean up, it’s not my responsibility.
The solution is out there, we are just not looking in the right place, maybe it’s hidden under all the rubbish.