Litter makes for a 'disheartening year' in Dorset

Eco-campaigners say it's been a 'disheartening' year seeing levels of litter increase in Dorset.

It comes as stats reveal over three-quarters of people noticed more PPE litter since the start of lockdown with nearly half (48%) noticing it a lot more.

Over one in three people (38%) noticed more litter near to where they live since the start of lockdown, while a third (34%) noticed about the same amount of litter.

Sophie Colley from Litter Free Dorset said:

"It has been disheartening to see littering behaviour increase in Dorset this year following lockdown however despite this communities and organisations have come together to tackle issues across the county.

"Numerous litter picking groups and individual litter heroes helped clean our beaches, beauty spots and green spaces.

"A campaign was launched to target BBQ litter as well as messages spread to encourage people to responsibly dispose of their PPE.

"Thank you to the individuals across Dorset who work so hard to keep Dorset beautiful.’

A number of volunteer organisations helped clean up beaches across Dorset this summer as visitors left behind bags of litter in beauty spots like Durdle Door.

Four in five people (78%) would like to see the government take more action to tackle the scourge of litter.

Campaign to Protect Rural England is calling on the government not to delay and stick to its original timetable for a fully inclusive Deposit Return Scheme to reduce waste and litter and boost recycling.

Commenting on the findings, Isla Lester, 9-year-old anti-litter advocate and CPRE ‘Green Clean’ participant, said:

"I think more people should litter pick and think before they act, so the world can be much cleaner, much faster. This could be tackled in 2 ways: educationally and practically

"It would be good if environmental issues were part of school lessons. Children need to be shown what polluting our planet really does. We need to see it for ourselves by going outside - having trips to the sea to look at the impact that litter has on beaches and sea life, and then doing things like litter picking. I think local businesses should also help by putting things in place to not add to waste in their areas, but to get rid of it.

"I just want more people to follow me and make the world a better place. We need everybody to work as a team to make a difference."

Edd Moore, Eco Coordinator said:

"Our Environmental work is led so passionately by the children. To have inspired so many businesses, charity groups, schools and the Dorchester Town Council is a testament to their enthusiasm and hard work in reducing single-use plastic across Dorchester."

Crispin Truman, chief executive of CPRE said:

"Litter is a completely avoidable blight that currently scars our countryside. As more people than ever before venture into their local green space or countryside next door, it's crucial that the government redoubles efforts to tackle litter and stops it piling up in our beautiful countryside.

"That’s why ministers must follow through on pledges to tackle the scourge of litter. By investing in whole system solutions to address litter, including a fully inclusive Deposit Return Scheme, we can deal with the long-lasting problem once and for all.

"That means no more delays on a fully inclusive Deposit Return Scheme, which should be introduced by 2023 at the latest.

"Hugely successful in other European countries, these schemes are proven to help drive unprecedented recycling rates and ensure thousands of tonnes of litter don’t end up in the countryside. We need a waste system that is responsive to changes in behaviour – our current system has been failing for a long time, the pandemic simply put a spotlight on the waste crisis and it’s high time ministers stepped in.’