I’m Josh, a proud husband and dad. I’m 30 years old, Liverpool born and bred, and I relocated to Newcastle in February 2025 to be closer to family. Like many people, I want to raise my family somewhere we can feel proud of. Somewhere that feels cared for, somewhere that feels like home! Over time I started paying closer attention to the environment around me; the streets we walk on, the parks where families spend time, the green spaces our children grow up around. What I began to notice more and more was litter! At first it felt like the odd bit of rubbish here and there, but once I really started looking, it seemed like it was everywhere.
The moment that really changed things for me was when my two-year-old pointed it out. Seeing rubbish through the eyes of my child made me realise just how normalised it had become. Things I’d walked past countless times suddenly stood out to me. It was like a switch had flipped once you see it, you can’t unsee it. I challenge you to have a look today or maybe this weekend. Has litter become too much of an issue in the places you live, serve and exist?
Trash talk
The problem I’m trying to tackle is litter in our shared public spaces, especially our green spaces. When you start paying attention, it’s incredibly difficult to step outside your front door without spotting it. Litter scattered along streets, caught in hedgerows, lying across parks, pathways and field edges. According to some official statistics, more than two million pieces of litter are dropped in the UK daily (Keep Britain Tidy). Each bit of litter is having a hugely negative impact in the areas you and I exist, but also on the environment and on wildlife.
These stats from the Business Waste UK website are useful for telling us how much of an issue this might be in your communities too.
- Cleaning up litter from UK streets (excluding parks and public places) costs British taxpayers £500 million every year (Keep Britain Tidy)
- Scotland spends about £46 million annually to clean up litter (Zero Waste Scotland)
- 764,000 pieces of litter were recorded as being found on UK beaches in 2024 (MCS)
- Surveys found that 48% of people in the UK admit to dropping litter, plenty more probably dare not own up (Keep Britain Tidy)
- Every weekend around 3 million bits of litter are dropped on UK roads by motorists (Keep Britain Tidy)
- Half a million pieces of litter enter oceans from UK rivers each year (GOV)
- Keep Britain Tidy found after smoking-related rubbish that confectionery packs, soft drink bottles and cans, and fast-food-related packaging made up the most litter
- 61% of all fly-tipping incidents involved household waste (Neighbourhood Watch)
The worrying thing is that people have become so used to seeing it that it often goes unnoticed. It blends into the background. But I also think it is getting worse. Some research has also indicated that littered environments influence how safe people feel and how they experience their local area. For example, studies show that people exposed to littered environments are more likely to perceive higher levels of crime and antisocial behaviour, even if crime levels are unchanged.
When small amounts of litter are ignored, they quickly build up. Before long, it becomes part of the landscape. Over time this can litter people’s sense of pride in where they live and how they feel about the places that they exist in. I’d recently read about the Broken Windows Theory, the idea that visible signs of neglect can lead to further neglect and disorder. Suddenly, it felt like I was watching that theory play out in real life. This started to feel much more than litter and talk of trash!
If rubbish is everywhere, people can start to think nobody cares. When nobody cares, the problem only grows. But I believe our neighbourhoods deserve better and our children deserve better. The communities and places that we leave to the next generation should reflect that.
Picking up places
My response is a really simple but practical one, I started to pick it up! Whenever I have spare time, I grab a litter picker and head out to clear whatever I can. It might only be a short walk, but every bag filled feels like a small step towards improving the place around us.
I usually wear a bright yellow high-vis jacket with the following words:
It tends to stop people in their tracks too. People ask questions and many start conversations. I also think this is the most interesting part. The more people we talk about the issue, the more awareness grows and the more people start to feel like they can play a part in looking after the spaces we all share. Of course, I really want ‘system change’ like many of you do around the topics of fairness, social justice and inequality. But, the harsh reality is that that will not happen quickly. We have to shift some of the ideas, misconceptions and ideas that people have about the problem and the practical action that they can use to make a tangible difference.
It’s not something I do alone either. When we go out as a family, we often bring a litter picker and bags with us. If we see something, we pick it up. It’s a small act, but it sends a powerful message, especially to our kids, about responsibility and about caring for the ecosystem around us.
Things got more serious when I started documenting the clean-ups on TikTok! The aim isn’t just to show the before and after results. It’s about raising awareness and encouraging others to get involved. TikTok is a great way to reach younger generations. After all, they’re the ones who will inherit the world we leave behind. If a short video inspires someone to pick up just one piece of litter, that’s already a win.
I’ve also started contacting local businesses where waste is regularly spilling out of premises and into surrounding streets. In one recent example, a business in North Shields (North Tyneside) took responsibility for the issue and organised a full clean-up of the road and surrounding green spaces. That kind of response shows what can happen when awareness turns into action.
Clean community spirit
The impact is already beginning to show. The green spaces around the community are starting to look greener again, rather than being dotted with litter. This month, we’re organising our first community litter pick, focusing on clearing rubbish along the local wagonways. We’ve set ourselves an ambitious goal of collecting 50 bags of rubbish, which would make a huge difference to the area.
But even before that event, small signs of progress are appearing. A walk that used to produce five bags of litter now only produces one. That shows something important I think, that consistent effort really does work.
Perhaps the most encouraging change has been seeing other people getting involved. I’ve spotted neighbours outside their homes with litter pickers, clearing the spaces around their driveways and streets. That tells me something is shifting. People are starting to talk about litter more openly. They’re starting to see it as something we don’t have to accept.
If we stop caring about where we live, our communities slowly become neglected. But when people start caring again, even in small ways, change can happen much faster than we think. I hope you agree because I think you can make a difference too.
Here are three actions you to consider with others in the places you serve:
Start with a simple litter walk
You don’t need a big event to begin. Grab a litter picker and a bag and head out for a short walk in your neighbourhood, park or local green space. Even one bag of rubbish removed can make a visible difference. Often the visibility of the act itself encourages others to think differently about the space too.
Organise a collective ‘clear up’ in place
Once momentum builds, invite others to join. You could organise a community litter pick for a park, wagonway, beach, or local green space. This might tie in well with another event for visibility such as a Park Run or something similar.
- Pick a location that needs attention
- Set a realistic goal (for example, 20–50 bags collected)
- Invite neighbours or community groups to join
Beyond picking up in place
Litter picking can also be a starting point for bigger conversations about place and community wellbeing. Small acts often become the spark for wider civic pride. It might lead to or be able to share links with ideas such as…
- planting projects
- community gardens
- safer walking routes
- better maintained green spaces
Further links and read
You can ‘pick up’ our binfluencer journey on TikTok at:
@unnofficialbinfluencer
That’s where I document the clean-ups, show areas that have recently been “binfluenced”, and share upcoming community challenges and litter-picking events.
- Wilson, J.Q. & Kelling, G.L. (1982). Broken Windows. Atlantic Monthly.
- Lanfear (2019). Broken Windows, Informal Social Control, and Crime. Annual Review of Criminology.
- Power (2005). Environmental Issues and Human Behaviour in Low-Income Areas. LSE CASE Report.
- Medway et al. (2016). Litter and perceptions of incivilities. Journal of Environmental Psychology.
- Davoudi (2012). Tackling Low Standards in Local Environmental Quality. Newcastle University.
