Go for a walk, even if it’s only a short one, and you’ll probably notice discarded plastic and paper along your route. It’s an unfortunate reality of the modern world that litter is rife and despite clear evidence of its damaging effects on the environment, people continue to produce litter at an alarming rate. This infographic from Cleaning Services Group https://www.cleaningservicesgroup.co.uk/ lays bare the alarming scale of the current littering problem – for instance, 9 billion tons of litter a year ends up in the world’s oceans, equivalent to the weight of 40 million Statues of Liberty.
It can be all too easy to slip into a comfort zone and dispose of one crisp packet or soft drink bottle without a second’s thought. Every piece of litter dropped, though, contributes to an overall epidemic which costs millions of taxpayers’ money and creates a very negative public image of a place. For organizations, the accumulation of litter outside their premises or the sight of their packaging being littered can deter people from doing business with that company.
Litter will not go away just by wanting it to do so. We all have a responsibility to make our own contribution towards reducing the amount of litter around us. Even something as simple as picking up any litter you see makes a difference, and we can also lobby local and national authorities to take assertive action in tackling the problem before it gets even worse. To see how you can play you part in the fight against litter, read the infographic below.