John Read of Clean Up Britain has given his opinion on the environmental situation in the UK saying “The situation is dire. We have a serious problem with litter in the UK. I’d go so far as to say it's an epidemic.”
All you need to do is drive along Britain’s roads to see the sheer amount of litter along the roadside. Cigarette butts, beer bottles, cans, fast food wrappers, bin bags, and so much more is strewn in laybys and verges up and down the UK.
“Britain is a naturally beautiful country, but right now it looks like a landfill,” said John, who has campaigned on the issue for more than 12 years. “It's shameful for international visitors to come here and see how filthy our country is. The rubbish is a terrible statement about a country in decline,”
Not only is this littering epidemic an eye sore in Britain's picturesque countryside, it also has a devastating environmental impact. Toxins from the waste leach into the soil and waterways, while the RSPCA – an animal protection charity – says it receives 10 calls a day about animals affected by litter.
Responsibility for Britain’s unsightly roadsides lies with local authorities, who typically own verges and lay-bys of minor roads, while National Highways is obligated to collect litter from England's motorways and major roads. Read claimed the extent of the problem meant they were “breaking the law every day”, while simultaneously allowing offenders to get away scot-free by not enforcing fines on offenders. Yet, Read pointed out that “huge” budget cuts in recent years have been “instrumental” in causing the problem, though added this was only part of the story.
But how can local authorities tackle this issue when they are already under a huge financial and economical strain? Here at Kingdom L A Support we have a number of cost affective and even cost neutral services that have been proven to help reduce litter and improve local environments. To find out more about how we can help your local authority just head to the contact us section above.
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