Latest from our anti-litter President
CPRE's president, travel writer Bill Bryson, is a keen anti-litter campaigner. You'd be surprised at some of the things he gets up to in the course of spearheading our STOP THE DROP campaign...
6 October 2011
Dear Friend,
I love travelling by train. Even now, the sensation of hurtling along at 125 miles per hour on the outside whilst experiencing comfort and an impressively smooth ride on the inside delights me. I like the ritual of laying out my various provisions and distractions, all requisite for such journeys and settling back to soak in the ever-changing views. When I can forget about how much my ticket cost and when I'm fortunate enough to be sharing a carriage with people who realise that I have no interest in hearing about the tedious nature of their thoughts and lives from five rows away, then I enjoy it even more.
I recently had the happy opportunity to travel northwards along the east coast line. There are a number of moments along this route where I always put down whatever book has been absorbing me to appreciate fully the stunning views and the sheer engineering chutzpah of this incredible railway. I have a favourite place where the train flies along tracks that are precariously rooted to a barren, cliff-edged wilderness, with only a grey and vast sea beyond. It takes only minutes to pass through, always with a much-awaited glimpse of a mysterious and derelict stone building, standing alone and battered by the winds, but I always look forward to seeing it.
Of course, wherever I travel in England - and in Wales and Scotland too - there are always such wondrous scenes to behold. Which is why it makes me so cross when I see so many of them blighted by litter.
In my last dispatch, I promised to tell you more about Network Rail's attempts to do something about this unsightly problem. On July 4th it launched its new Clean Up Week, with 130 sites across its 30,000 mile network being cleared of litter, fly-tipping and graffiti. Over 400 Network Rail staff worked tirelessly, filling their specially designed ‘wombling' bags with around 1,000 tonnes of unwelcome rubbish. 1,000 tonnes!!
Naturally, because the railway and its embankments can be dangerous, it's not always possible to involve other people in clean-up operations but there were five locations where Network Rail worked with local schools and the probation service, so that young people and ex-vandals could help out too.
Obviously one week a year isn't going to do the job of keeping the network clean and I understand Network Rail is developing a long-term strategy to solve some of these problems by working more closely with local councils, the police and local communities, as well as increasing its efforts to clean-up whilst other vital work is carried out.
I truly congratulate Network Rail on this work and welcome whole-heartedly their commitment to doing everything they can to keep their land free from litter.
You can also help them by reporting an area of railway land that's littered or fly-tipped to the friendly people at the Network Rail National Helpline by calling 08457 11 41 41 - whilst bracing yourself for the soul-sapping labyrinth of warnings about your call being monitored and lists of options you don't want (option three is in fact what you do want) - or by emailing crnw@networkrail.co.uk. They have stressed, quite forcefully in fact, that they really want to hear from people so they can take quick action.
Also, if there's an area of disused land near you that you'd like to help clean up and improve, contact the Helpline and ask to be put in touch with the Community Rail Partnership team - they specialise in working with people like you to get places looking much better.
Next year, CPRE will be working hard to get as many of our litterpicking groups as possible out there to support this Clean Up Week. Lots of litter ends up on the railway because it gets blown there from surrounding areas so, if Network Rail clears its land and we clear the land adjacent to its boundaries, then it should help keep the network cleaner for longer. Do let me know by email if you'd like to get involved and I can send you more details nearer the time.
Litter is also blown along the network by the through-draught of the trains - a complicated equation of air and the absence of air which I don't think we need to worry ourselves about here - so do remind people you know not to leave their litter lying around on the platform, even if it is artfully placed on a windowsill or beside a bench in the absence of bins. It is likely to get whipped up and tossed along the tracks before anyone has the chance to come and clear it away. Thank you.
There's more good news from Dorset too. The indefatigable Bob Kerr and Felicity McLaren from Dorchester Stop the Drop (both on the right hand side of the photo below) and a band of other volunteers from CPRE Dorset hosted an excellent event recently which aimed to find out what everybody - residents and tourists alike - in that fine county town liked about their local area.
The initiative was organised as part of Keep Britain Tidy's new Love Where You Livecampaign, which will formally launch on 17th October. This campaign has been developed following CPRE's lobbying of the Government for a long-term, national anti-litter campaign which involves everybody - schools, manufacturers, retailers, councils and community groups, as well as you and me.
Bob, Felicity and their team found that an overwhelming majority of people who lived locally loved where they live, citing its proximity to the countryside and the sea as a wonderful thing. I'm sure anyone who has been fortunate enough to explore Chesil Beach, the Jurassic Coast and the rolling green hills inland would agree wholeheartedly.
Of course, they didn't let people get away without also talking about littering and handing out some useful pocket ashtrays for those who smoked and some ingenious papers that you can put your chewing gum in when you've finished. I know we have plenty more pocket ashtrays we can give away, so if you'd like one, maybe for yourself or someone you know, just drop me a line and I understand one will be magically despatched.
I am stunned and amazed that the next time I'm in touch will be to send you my festive wishes. How quickly time can pass. Thank you most sincerely for continuing to support all our work against litter. I really do find it heartening to know that I'm not alone in believing that we can and we must do something about it.
And now, before the nights really draw in and the snow prepares to fall, I'm going to go and enjoy some of this fantastically summery weather.
With every good wish
Bill Bryson
24 June 2010
You may be unsurprised to learn there are many things I find galling, loathsome or downright infuriating. My odium blazes most when I see discarded litter tossed onto greensward, or garish bottles and cans incongruously sticking out of roadside hedgerows. Not only does litter decrease our enjoyment of the countryside and urban spaces but it is a chronic waste of precious resources.
This week is Recycle Week, which very sensibly suggests ‘Let's waste less'. We could waste a lot less glass, plastic and aluminium if there was a UK-wide bottle deposit scheme - a system that is proven internationally to reduce litter and increase recycling. The previous Government said it would be too expensive to have a scheme but didn't commission the research to determine what those costs would be. As for the industry players, they consistently bleat about the supposed prohibitive cost, again without having any hard figures.
To move this stagnant debate on, Stop the Drop commissioned and paid for the required research - a situation that truly rankles. CPRE has had to do what the government and industry should have done and get the facts on how a scheme that works perfectly well in other countries could work here. We will be publishing the research later in the year and I urge you to join us when the time is right to let the government know it must display common sense on this issue.
One company that has started to demonstrate good sense on litter is Carlsberg UK. I joined its Senior Management Team at a litterpick in Northampton a few weeks ago, along with the litter activists from CPRE Northamptonshire and was pleased to see the company is taking its environmental responsibilities seriously. Our 30-strong group litterpicked a large area around the brewery, inevitably finding many discarded cans and bottles. Isaac Sheps, Carlsberg UK Chief Executive, and I even found littered Carlsberg cans by the brewery's perimeter fence ...
Another group who I would like to thank are the students of the University of East Anglia, who braved the lovely summer weather - you're right, it was blowing a gale - to clean up the beach between Waxham and Horsey, one of Norfolk's most beautiful stretches of coastline. The area is famous for its seal colonies and birdlife but this fabulous fauna is forced to co-exist with a sickening amount of litter.
Working with volunteers from CPRE Norfolk and the Marine Conservation Society, the students collected 40 bags of litter which included, amongst many other items, 948 pieces of plastic (134 of which were plastic bottles), 77 pieces of metal (including 45 drink cans), 15 glass bottles and, as there's always something random to be found whilst litterpicking, a lorry's mudflap. A bottle deposit scheme would prevent a lot of those cans and bottles polluting England's inexpressibly exquisite coastline and threatening its wildlife.
I very much hope you are enjoying your summer and that the weather is kinder to you in the next few months than it was to the poor students of UEA - what you can't see in the above photograph is the driving rain!
With best wishes
Bill Bryson Back to top
Dear Friend
I should probably warn you, since the new year's arrival my seasonal cheer has been composted along with the remains of Christmas lunch.
The amount of money spent on cleaning England's streets increased by £33m last year. We're now spending £780m a year to pluck fast food wrappers out of hedges and plastic bottles from gutters.
That's £2.1m a day clearing up after the thoughtless people who just can't be bothered to put their litter in a bin. It doesn't take a moment to realise where else that money could be better spent - better schools and hospitals, anyone?
This is ridiculous. It's just time for it to stop.
Support our Manifesto
Over the past couple of months, I've met Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg. I spoke to them about CPRE's Manifesto for the General Election, which sets out what action we want on litter and fly-tipping. I would urge you to take a look at it yourself. Even better, please email or write to your parliamentary candidate and ask them to support it.
Last chance for current MPs to support us
If you're feeling in the mood, you can also contact your current MP and ask them to sign our Early Day Motion, which sets out some of our campaign goals:
- Local councils must take more consistent and stronger enforcement action - people need to know that littering is an offence
- National government should introduce a bottle deposit scheme - it's the most effective way to reduce litter
- Local councils should be given the powers they need to take action against littering from vehicles - people should know that throwing their lunch out the window will cost them £80
- A high-profile, national, long-term education campaign, run in partnership with industry, should be introduced - short-term, localised, individually run campaigns just aren't doing the job
A more integrated approach
On the last point above, the meeting between the industry/retail sectors, national government and CPRE I mentioned in my December missive is now in the planning stages. I will of course let you know how this goes. Some of the biggest brands, whose products are some of the most littered items, will be invited to discuss what more they can do to help us stop this tide of litter.
I think that if we're stumping up an extra £33m a year, they could too.
With best wishes
Bill Bryson Back to top
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P.S. Do any of you work for Carlsberg? It's just we're trying to get in touch with them but so far they haven't responded to the two letters and five telephone calls we've made. As you know, it's not like me to give up, so I'm sure we'll get there in the end but if you can help, it would be useful if you could contact Sam.
edited by Fiona Cowan
7 October 2011