Lockdown Litter: The Rubbish Aftermath of the Pandemic

Masks have added to the amount of litter over lockdown. Photo by Michael Jin on Unsplash

As COP26 approaches, communities in Scotland are rallying to make a difference and combat climate change. Many have been motivated in the surrounding areas of Glasgow — the lucky city holding the world climate change summit this October — to get out and be proactive.

But change started long ago in Giffnock, Scotland, when one individual decided to take action and fight against the escalating local litter crisis.

Allan Steele, former RAF member, chair for the local Liberal Democrats and secretary of Giffnock Community Council, noticed an increase of litter in Giffnock and the surrounding areas when he came out of the RAF in 2020 and decided to do something about it.

He said: “I was just shocked at the state of it, of Huntley Park in particular. And I was annoyed. And I thought, right, who's shifting this? And it became clear to me that the council staff couldn't keep up. So, I decided as part of my daily routine I would go out to collect litter.”

Shortly after, the country went into lockdown. However, that didn't stop Steele from his mission to eradicate litter. He started a campaign called “Pick up for Giffnock and Thornliebank” and got the word out about it through Facebook and other social media platforms like nextdoor.com. 

But he says the campaign is about more than just picking up litter: “The slogan “Pick up for Giffnock and Thornliebank”: I use the term with a view to saying look, let's try and pick up standards; let’s pick up our morale; let's pick up our care for each other; but of course, let's pick up litter as well along the way.”

Of course, litter has always been a massive problem in Glasgow and the surrounding areas, but even more so recently due to the pandemic and council services running at limited capacity. In Giffnock, the usual council-run bin services were impacted by Covid-19 due to significantly reduced staffing levels.

So, it’s no surprise that a council struggling to stay on top of household bin collections is also struggling to uplift community bins and litter. Coupled with the increase of those working from home and using the local area more frequently, it’s no wonder litter is on the rise. Even those of us not used to living in a near-spotless military establishment, like Steele, can see the increase and worry about the environmental effects.

However, Steele is not the only one working in East Renfrewshire to eradicate litter: Joyce Watt, from Newton Mearns, joined "East Renfrewshire Litter Busters" during lockdown when she realised the council were struggling to keep the area litter-free.

She said: “I just think somebody needs to do something, and it doesn't really bother me. A lot of people say, ‘Oh, the council should be doing that.’ Well, yeah, but the council can't do everything, especially just now. So, I think that if everybody that lived in the area just took care of their own wee bit, it would make such a difference.”

Not everyone thinks like Watt, or even Steele, though; many people believe picking up litter is beneath them and fail to see the positive impact it can have on the planet. 

Watt said: "It's a very mixed response. Some say: ‘Why on earth are you doing that?’ or ‘That's not the kind of thing you should be doing.’ And then some people just say: ‘Oh, yeah, whatever, get on with it.’ My husband as well, he said: ‘Why? Why are you going out? Why are you putting yourself at risk going out and picking stuff up?’” 

Of course, Watt understands why her husband worries. Litter picking can be dangerous, depending on where you are picking up litter and what you are picking up, but someone must do it.

After all, litter is not just an ungodly sight; it is also a serious threat to the environment and wildlife. Litter takes years to degrade, and as it does, it releases unnatural chemicals and microparticles into the atmosphere that threaten the local environment and animals. 

Both Watt and Steele have found a varied collection of items when out litter picking – from five-pound notes to leftover drug canisters and even a thong – and neither know what they will find when they go out next. 

Steele said: “The litter that I've collected, for instance in Roukenglen park — like broken glass under leaves and different things in the Glen walk — it poses a real danger to animals, it poses a danger to anyone walking in the area, and it poses a danger to children as well.”

Litter picking is a risky job, and we owe a lot to Watt, Steele, and all other litter pickers out there who go out, pick up litter and give our planet a fighting chance. 

If you live in Glasgow and want to get involved, you can check out this map from “The Glasgow Clean Up” to find groups in your local area.