New attitude towards littering needed

With so many important issues on hand, some might ask why we should care about littering; because it matters, both as an environmental and a social issue.

Efforts to eliminate or at least minimise its effects, even through force of law, have been futile.

It seems that some can’t grasp the concept of a trash can or feel no sense of ownership of public places, with their “not my responsibility” approach.

While a majority of people do know that littering is a bad thing, many continue to carelessly scatter their trash around. As we look around our beautiful country all too often we see a lot of rubbish littering our streets and parks.

A host of problems stem from littering. It attracts more litter, gives an area a run down look, costs the community huge sums of money, blocks drains and kills wildlife. Moreover, it diminishes the pride people have in their environment and results in a culture of disrespect for others and areas shared by all.

Remember everything that goes down a storm drain eventually ends up in the seas and oceans. Understanding the process of bio-accumulation is the first step toward making a difference in your life and the lives of the wildlife sharing our environment.

The reader is a sales manager based in Dubai.

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