No doubt most towns around England have had the problem of littering at least once. In Redbridge, litter is considered by many to be a problem. There are systems in place to act as a deterrent towards littering. You can be fined for dropping/not picking up your litter, not cleaning up after you dog and fly-tipping. However, many people are still finding that their roads are not litter-free, despite the council’s extensive efforts.
   I asked several residents their opinion of people littering in the local area. Miss N. Anandji believes that “we have a sufficient amount of bins in place, so people have the capabilities and choice to prevent littering”. However, she also believes that “the methods in place do not provide an adequate deterrent to littering, as people can still get away with dumping rubbish without being caught.”  Another resident,   Miss Khan, has noted that “People littering is quite bad. There are a lot of food wrappers and drink cartons around. It isn’t often disposed of properly, and sometimes just left in a pile in the road.” Regardless of the diligence our council shows towards the importance of keeping a clean environment, many people still don’t get the message that litter should be binned, not thrown on the pavement.
   This all coincides with some pest control issues in our area. Although Redbridge does provide free rat pest control services and many other pest control services at very low rates, many are not aware of this and their homes and businesses have been visited by the furry four-legged creatures. As no one wants to have their businesses and homes invaded by a tiny army of pests, many people should consider the impact of littering, especially disposal of food wrappers and cartons, and work to improve their communities through this.
   However, the council is certainly making progress with encouraging residents to start being more responsible with rubbish. Redbridge encourages the purchase of plastic rubbish bins. This would reduce the incidence of refuse sacks being ripped open by cats and foxes and the contents being strewn over the street. There are details of local recycling facilities and refuse centres so that people can find the best option for the correct and safe disposal of rubbish. There is even information about how you can order a garden waste collection, and report litter being dumped in the streets. If more people in Redbridge used these facilities and just decided to put rubbish in the bins, then we could make our local area much cleaner and safer.