Litter

[Workingman]

I cannot even begin to express my disgust and dismay at the scenes at beaches and beauty spots once all the people have left. These places are awash with bags and wrappers, cans and bottles (plastic and glass), as well as plenty of other discarded items and human waste! What are the homes of these people like, and what the hell are they thinking?

I do not have any real answer to the problem except that we might need a large and meaningful returnable deposit on some things - £1 or more a go.

[saundra]

It's disgusting behaviour I don't have an answer expect a big deposit on bottles and cans
Local kids would soon pick them up and get cash red
Then again there is all the other mess to clear
Why don't they have rubbish police to fine them it they can prove it

[victor]

You cannot educate pork

[TheOstrich]

I'd agree, Vic. But what can you do? We are of the generation where we'd never contemplate doing anything like that, because if we had done so, there'd have been repercussions. Nobody cares these days, whether it's littering the beach or fly-tipping in the countryside.

There's talk of emergency powers to close the beaches - well good luck doing that. 3 stabbed by Bournemouth Pier yesterday, apparently.

[Workingman]

From a certain date all drinks cans and bottles should have a hologram laser etched in to them, even multi-pack, and when taken back to a recycling point the hologram is read and the deposit returned.

I would also place a disposal charge on all items of takeaway packaging, including those triangular sandwich boxes, polystyrene trays, pizza boxes and disposable cups etc to be collected by the vendors and ring-fenced for the local council refuse department.

And I am with Saundra, let's have huge fines for littering / fly tipping.

We need to get serious about this.

[Suff]

Clearly education, or the lack of it, is failing. Only punitive costs and fines are left.

Well that or community service cleaning the beaches up.

Sweden already does the deposit thing on plastic bottles, you return them at the supermarket and get a barcode to take the money off your shopping.

Time we did similar.