I have found myself talking about rubbish A LOT lately. To friends and family. Colleagues at work. Shopkeepers. What amazes me is that not only do they encourage me, but they also share their own stories about litter. My favourite happened recently during a doctor’s visit, where a nurse shared this recollection of walking with her son:
“He was around three years old and very loud (actually, he still is!), and we were walking along the river. Some bloke ahead of us dropped a crisp packet and my son said at the top of his voice, ‘Mummy, that man is naughty!’ I responded, also loud enough for the man to hear, that we would pick it up and put it in the bin for him.”
She added that although her son was now 17, she still finds sweet wrappers and crisp packets folded up and put in his pocket instead of tossed aside when no bin can be found. A simple illustration of how parental education and enforcement can make a difference.
Dealing with litter can often feel like it’s full of doom and gloom. Does anyone have any positive litter stories to share?