Rubbish thrown from cars

[Fnaar]

A couple of experiences... doing a sportive, i was quite shocked to see the number of 'recreational' riders who felt it OK to drop gel wrappers as they went, in the middle of the lovely countryside they were riding around. I picked one up and set off te try to catch the dropper and remionstrate with him, but (perhaps because of the gel) i couldn't catch him.

At a motorway service station the other day, sitting outside with my kids, having sandwiches etc, I cleared our table of the previous occupants' rubbish (bin was about 2 metres away) and the floor too. My kids asked why I was clearing other peoples' rubbish, so I told them that now we had a nicer place to sit. Hopefull there's a leeson learned there for them to carry with them.

While I agree that Spain can be messy, I've seen the opposite... a group of 20-somethings, spending the afternoon in a recreational area near the top of a big hill (you drove to it). We arrived at the same time, and went off for a walk. When we got back, there was rubbish all over the place...food wrappers, bottles etc. It was quite shocking to see. However, while we fed some horses in a field, in a matter of 20 minutes or something, they cleared the whole lot up and went on their merry way... you wouldn't know anyone had been there!!

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I tend to think the Litter versus Food Benefit to wild animal balance shows that these items are better not left in the countryside. However if they are well out of sight I don't see any long term negative impact.

Another one that deeply annoys me is dog walkers who put the poo in a plastic bag then leave the plastic bag in the environment, that has to be about a million times worse than just leaving the poo. If you are well out into the countryside with no bins near by and your dog craps on the path, move it with a big leaf into the undergrowth where it will naturally disappear. Leaving it in a plastic bag is idiotic.

Agree completely about the poo bags!.

I have never seen a problem with fruit remains being discarded out of sight. I am not even sure it would be classed as littering in the UK. I am happy to be corrected however.

 

[swee'pea99]

Have to say, I've seen more moans about carelessly discarded poo bags than I've ever seen carelessly discarded poo bags. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a carelessly discarded poo bag. Having said which, anyone who does behave as described is a cretin.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1315309432' post='1828786']
Have to say, I've seen more moans about carelessly discarded poo bags than I've ever seen carelessly discarded poo bags. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a carelessly discarded poo bag. Having said which, anyone who does behave as described is a cretin.
[/quote]

I think it depends where you live. Some areas near me have several poo bag trees and hedges

 

[Fnaar]

My dog tends to poo in more or less the same place on its morning walk, near the start of the walk. I bag in, put it in the hedges, then pick it up on my way back and bin it. Cos that's the kind of poo-bagging/binning guy I am. However, I have occasionally had to explain to passers by that I intend to pick it up on my way back

 

[Amanda P]

the slovenly lack of pride and social responsibility that infects the UK.

I posted this story once before, but it was a few years ago now, so...

Mrs Uncle Phil and I were touring in Italy, and we spent a few days in a free campsite (yes, they have those - campeggio liberi) in the Dolomites. It was empty for the first couple of days, and then Wit weekend arrived. It seems to be compulsory to go away for bank holiday weekends in Italy, and for the rest of the weekend, the site and all the fields, laybyes and verges for some distance in every direction were packed with camping Italians. They partied, they barbecued, they swam in the lake (none of this allowed) - all with great tolerance, abandon and enthusiasm. (And usually while waving their arms about).

And then suddenly, on Monday evening, they started to move off. By Tuesday morning, they were all gone - but they had all cleared up after themselves. There was not a scrap of litter anywhere, except stuffed into bulging bin bags by the wheely bins and in those bins.

If this had been Britain, the council would have been desultorily cleaning up for days.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I posted this story once before, but it was a few years ago now, so...

Mrs Uncle Phil and I were touring in Italy, and we spent a few days in a free campsite (yes, they have those - campeggio liberi) in the Dolomites. It was empty for the first couple of days, and then Wit weekend arrived. It seems to be compulsory to go away for bank holiday weekends in Italy, and for the rest of the weekend, the site and all the fields, laybyes and verges for some distance in every direction were packed with camping Italians. They partied, they barbecued, they swam in the lake (none of this allowed) - all with great tolerance, abandon and enthusiasm. (And usually while waving their arms about).

And then suddenly, on Monday evening, they started to move off. By Tuesday morning, they were all gone - but they had all cleared up after themselves. There was not a scrap of litter anywhere, except stuffed into bulging bin bags by the wheely bins and in those bins.

If this had been Britain, the council would have been desultorily cleaning up for days.

I wish things could be that way here.

 

[snorri]

Apple cores yes, orange skin / banana skin probably no, both take too long to rot away and are not a source of food for wild birds / animals.

I think the danger of "approving" dropping of certain items comes from the message it gives to others. I was in the company of one adult (cyclist) who considered it acceptable to drop paper hankie tissues claiming these would soon disintegrate after a shower of rain.

 

[Angelfishsolo]

I think the danger of "approving" dropping of certain items comes from the message it gives to others. I was in the company of one adult (cyclist) who considered it acceptable to drop paper hankie tissues claiming these would soon disintegrate after a shower of rain.

It is interesting to note that there is no legal definition of Litter.

 

[Seigi]

Another one that deeply annoys me is dog walkers who put the poo in a plastic bag then leave the plastic bag in the environment, that has to be about a million times worse than just leaving the poo. If you are well out into the countryside with no bins near by and your dog craps on the path, move it with a big leaf into the undergrowth where it will naturally disappear. Leaving it in a plastic bag is idiotic.

Really annoys me also, I often pick up the dog poo (of my own or OH's dog) with a dock leaf and throw it into the tall grass, that way I'm not wasting plastic, it's not on the footpath, and it'll degrade very quickly feeding plants around it with its nutrients.

I often see on a path I go on with my dog plastic bags hanging from trees as if they're some sort of fruit.

 

[Rhythm Thief]

Discarding litter is a two state affair. You either do it or you don't. There are no half measures, justifications or exceptions.

The apple core throwers are essentially sanctioning the deposition of similar items in their own gardens by total strangers. After all it's feeding the fauna that share the spaceso it must be good all round. Or is it a 'not in my back yard' situation?

That's fine by me. Our garden runs alongside the road, and clearing up kebab wrappings, polystyrene chip trays and empty beer cans is a fairly regular activity (although less so than it used to be). An apple core would be no bother at all, I'd just stick it in the compost bin or leave it for anyhting that wanted to eat it.
Proper litter irritates me no end, though. Especially when it's left in nice places. Personally, I'd make it law that if the littter has a clearly identifiable origin (ie MacDonald's logo, or whatever), the originator has to come and clear it up. Or failing that, would be powerless to prevent anyone gathering up a couple of binfuls of discarded branded wrappers and dumping them on the floor of the nearest branch. Litter of unidentifiable origin would be punishable by, I don't know, being hung up by your thumbs for a week, or something.

 

[vernon]

[quote name='swee'pea99' timestamp='1315309432' post='1828786']
Have to say, I've seen more moans about carelessly discarded poo bags than I've ever seen carelessly discarded poo bags. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a carelessly discarded poo bag. Having said which, anyone who does behave as described is a cretin.
[/quote]

Try pedalling along the tow path of the Leeds-Liverpool canal at the Liverpool end. There's a long chain link fence festooned with poo bags and their contents that have been tied to the fence. At first I thought, in ignorance of the contents of the bags, that it was some strange sort of tribute to some departed local hero until I twigged what they really were.

 

[Glow worm]

I do appreciate we seem to be moving on from the OP post of litter thrown from cars, and apologies for further digression.

Am I the only person on here that would never have an apple core to dispose of. I do eat quite a lot of apples but the only thing I ever have left is the twig? The gouk or the core is just consumed with the rest of the apple. I seem to have been brought up in a family where this is entirely normal, and yet I don't thing I have ever met anybody else who does likewise.

Rest assured Reiver, you are not alone. I do exactly the same- I quite like the marzipani taste of the pips too!

 

[swee'pea99]

Rest assured Reiver, you are not alone. I do exactly the same- I quite like the marzipani taste of the pips too!

There was a young lady of Leeds...

 

[Mad at urage]

I do appreciate we seem to be moving on from the OP post of litter thrown from cars, and apologies for further digression.

Am I the only person on here that would never have an apple core to dispose of. I do eat quite a lot of apples but the only thing I ever have left is the twig? The gouk or the core is just consumed with the rest of the apple. I seem to have been brought up in a family where this is entirely normal, and yet I don't thing I have ever met anybody else who does likewise.

You're not alone, I've never understood why people waste all that good food!