Me and my wife spent a lot of our spare time litter picking round country lanes near home and where we walked our dogs. We cleared many a ditch and hedgerows with carrier bags full of human poo that had been lobbed from vans. We filled 36 council branded coloured bags of unbelievable items of litter and reported 16 fly tipping sites some of which had been there years - old TVs, clothes, builders waste, tyres etc. So many drink cans and glass bottles it was unreal.
As a result of walking the lanes and being seen we got ourselves noticed and word spreads and we got talking to various farmers who really appreciated what we were giving up our time to do for the local area. This was a very good way of getting to know people and land owners and it kept us fit doing it we really enjoyed it. So I recommend litter picking and ditch clearing, it’s good fun, does a lot to help others and the local area and helps build relationships with people you probably wouldn’t otherwise get to talk to in a lifetime. They also get to know your vehicle as well. Wear high viz, buy proper litter grabbers and protective gloves and get walking!
Some of the bags were so heavy with bottles and stuff we had to leave them on the roadside and pick them up later using our own car and fuel.
There’s no money in it just feel good factor and the pleasure of knowing the litter louts haven’t got away with littering our countryside and who knows where it might take you!
