My opinion, based on my life experiences and values learnt in my upbringing, is that people either litter or they don’t. I’m in the latter category: a person who always holds onto their rubbish until I can find a bin to put it in. My beliefs also lead me to assume that non litterers generally have negative opinions about litterers: that they are lazy, disrespectful to the environment etc. I’m interested but not willing to waste too much time, to hear any reasoning of a litterer, to defend their actions and attitude.

FACTS

My comments are spurred on from recent efforts to clean up the road side area on Batar Creek Road in Kendall, between the showground entrance and a currently incomplete, non-signposted entrance into the Poets Ridge Estate via Kooroora Ridge/Mountain Spring Drive. On some recent walks with my wife, we have both been shocked at the amount of rubbish on the sides of Batar Creek Road.

We’ve collected a few shopping bags worth of waste, mostly recyclable items. The main forms of rubbish picked up so far have been drink containers and food wrappers from McDonalds. Other items collected also include four cans of Bundaberg Rum, lolly wrappers, iced milk containers, a hair brush… the list goes on. A bulk of waste has also seen to be stagnate in a drain at the estate entrance, after it’s possibly being washed or blown down the hill.

OPINION

Having not done many walks in other parts of Kendall recently, I’m unaware of similar levels of rubbish left laying around. As there are bins in all park areas of Kendall I’d like to think there is less rubbish on the ground, as it is being put in the bin.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1) Self-reflection

To the people that have littered in this area: ask yourself;

“Is it really that hard to hold onto rubbish until I get to a bin?”

“Do I think that rubbish makes an area look nice?”

If you answered NO to both questions, then wake up to yourself and show some respect for the environment, help maintain the natural beauty of the area you live in or visit and put your rubbish in a bin.

2) Roadside bins

Roadside bins on Batar Creek Road probably won’t assist people that throw litter from their cars as I can’t imagine them aiming for them or stopping to put rubbish in the bin. However, a bin at the showground entrance might get used and/or a bin near the estate entrance.

3) Campaigns against littering

I’m aware that there are anti-littering campaigns including “Keep Australia Beautiful” and “Hey Tosser!” and others, some of which state potential fines from the Environmental Protection Authority for people caught littering. I’d like to know how many people or businesses have been fined and if anyone has been fined, if they have changed their behaviours since being fined.

4) See something, say something to everyone: if you see a ‘dumper’ try to have the courage to say something to them like “I noticed you dropped this bit of rubbish back there. Do you still want it?” They might then take it and “do the right thing and put it in the bin”.