250 million reasons why Scottish attitudes to fly-tipping need to change
Fly-tipping and littering are all too common in Scotland, in contrast to countries like South Korea
I wonder how many of our public services we don’t think about until they’re interrupted or gone. I watched the news with horror about the Birmingham refuse collector strike – the stories of the stench, rats the size of pit ponies and the public health challenges that exist when people live cheek by jowl with piles of decomposing rubbish.
It’s been reported that it led to an increase in fly-tipping as people use the opportunity to rid themselves of ‘stuff’. A bad situation being made worse.
There is a theory in criminology called ‘broken windows’, which suggests that visible indicators of disorder – such as vandalism, loitering, and broken windows – invite escalating criminal activity. It’s disputed in some quarters, but I’ve been thinking about it as I’ve been visiting my elderly mother recently.
Rubbish attracts more rubbish
I take a country road bordering farmland, a beautiful drive with overhanging trees and new-born lambs. I saw families walking down it on their Easter break and noticed them navigating the fast-food rubbish littered on a particular section of this road, much of it ending up in fields where the animals are.
Last week a large armchair appeared, then a fridge, and a few days after that black rubbish bags, boxes of detritus and another chair were added to the countryside vibe. And don’t get me started on the volume of single-use vapes scattered across city centres and rural idylls alike. Like a magnet, the rubbish attracted more rubbish.
The area is well known for fly-tippers, and there are volunteers and council staff who try to overcome this tide of filth. It is fair to say I have a ‘thing’ about fly-tipping – I hate it with a vengeance.
Once I stopped behind a van and took pictures of them unloading building materials on the side of the road. We had a ‘discussion’ about the impact and penalties for them if they did not reload their vehicle. An aggressive and unpleasant interaction.
Thousands of tonnes
It’s estimated that around 250 million easily visible items are dropped as litter and local authorities deal with 26,000 tonnes of material that is fly-tipped every year in Scotland. We all have clear-outs and, in recent times, small businesses have sprung up to deal with your ‘junk’.
Legitimate waste disposal companies need to be registered and pay to access recycling centres but crime flourishes where money is on offer. Unscrupulous operators will take away your unwanted items for a fee and then fly-tip by the side of a road to avoid eating into their profit.
Keep Scotland Beautiful’s campaign saw around 50,000 volunteers cleaning up the environment – picking up what others had carelessly left behind.
Cultural cleanliness
I visited my daughter in South Korea recently and was struck by how clean everywhere was, despite the lack of public rubbish bins. They have strict regulations to ensure public spaces are kept clean, hefty fines, and littering is heavily disapproved of.
More importantly, the emphasis on cleanliness is deeply ingrained in the culture. It is seen as a civic duty and a reflection of national pride.
We are a bit more ‘not my problem’. What could we achieve beyond cleaner streets if we took a bit more responsibility for the world around us?
Karyn McCluskey is chief executive of Community Justice Scotland