Littering is a major issue in our local community: lots of hazards and inconveniences have been caused by this concerning problem. There have been many pursuits to stop this problem: various recycling bins, each with a different purpose, have been placed anywhere possible, however people are still littering.

There are many inconveniences caused by unnecessary littering. For example, it has effected many road users as they are unable to park their vehicles. A local driver was questioned whether he had any problems prohibiting his daily routines and his response was, “Yes, in previous experiences I have had to pick up litter from the ground so that I could park my car as there were so many pieces of glass and bottles.” 

Due to the extreme littering, drivers have been facing a major issue: shards of glass, plastic bottles and bags have been thrown onto the roads. Therefore, drivers may or may not notice the litter, however either way, they are not able to stop as they have to continue driving. Due to glass being scattered across the roads, the risk of car wheels being damaged is very high. Moreover, plastic bags could wrap around the wheels and this causes tension among the drivers. Another problem is that the rat population could increase because they are more attracted to the litter. Not only does it attract rats, litter hurts animals too. In 2013, it was recorded that the RSPCA received approximately 7000 calls about pets and wildlife being injured by litter.

Leading on from this point, in England, 62% of the population dropped litter in 2013 and it costed UK Taxpayers, £1 billion a year to clear the litter. However, litter still remains and we need to do something to stop this. People need to be warned about the effects of littering and further actions should be considered. 

Written By Deeksha Ravishankar

Sutton High School