Letter: Litter and waste

Paul Donovan, Dangan Road, Wanstead, writes:

The level of rubbish and plastic being created does not seem to be in any way decreasing at the present time.

Locally, as the lockdown restrictions eased, more people came out into our open spaces to socialise.

Unfortunately, too many brought rubbish with them that they then left behind.

Some of the things that people just dump are incredible. On one of our monthly litter picks there was a full set of china plates and cups left in the middle of George Green.

The masks that have become essential wear over the period of the pandemic are liberally dumped on the ground for others to pick up.

What is it that makes people believe that they are so entitled that simply putting rubbish in the bin or taking it home is below them?

At one point, Redbridge Council were taking more litter off Christchurch Green than Valentines Park. Note, the full-time worker deployed simply to clear up after those who cannot deal with their own rubbish.

Volunteers collect and count plastic bottles littering the foreshore of the River Thames at Queenhithe Dock (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Plastic is another particular problem. The planet is simply getting clogged up with plastic, being used and discarded on land and in the sea.

There are efforts to cut single-use plastic, as well as find alternatives, but progress is slow.
One initiative we can all take part in is Plastic Free July, which seeks to cut single use for that month.

What is really needed to address the problems of litter and plastic (often one in the same) is to stop creating the stuff in the first place.

Recycling is very good and should be encouraged but a step further is to not create the rubbish in the first place.

The Cleaner Greener Wanstead initiative sought to address the joint problems of plastic waste and litter. An early initiative was to try to get shops in Wanstead High Street to not use single plastic. One Saturday, as part of a nationwide project, activists took the plastic back to a number of supermarkets, including the Co-op, Tesco and M&S.

The stores listened attentively and promised to take the argument on board – some progress is being made at a national level but what about here?

There is still a lot of single-use plastic in Wanstead High Street – the thousands of plastic lids on takeaway coffee cups spring to mind.

These have been difficult times with the pandemic darkening everyone’s lives over the past 14 months. Some of the initiatives which began pre-pandemic have stalled due to the crisis but now is time to redouble our efforts.

We need to take real action to cut the amount of waste being created and when that is not possible, deal responsibly with the residue.

There is only one planet and we all have a responsibility to look after it.