It's all about ME

[Anastasius]

Looking at TV footage and photographs from recent events, parks being left littered, tombstoning, beaches littered etc, the overriding demographic seems to be predominantly Millenials. Certainly litter has been around for years as has, by some, a total lack of social responsibility. But I would suggest that this generation (NB not all of them but a large percentage) have taken this to the next level. I then started thinking as to why this should be. Lack of any disincentives for, say, littering or breaking Covid restrictions. A £50 fine is nothing to a lot of them....quote "If I've had a good time then £50 is worth it". It's all about ME. Simple solution to that. Make the fine £500. End of.

But I think that the other main reason is poor parenting. But parenting has been going on for centuries and so why should it suddenly be failing ? Were there any external influences might there have been since 2000 that would have diverted and distracted parents from doing what they should have been doing?

There were.

Facebook - 2003

Twitter - 2006

[Ein Heldenleben]

Looking at TV footage and photographs from recent events, parks being left littered, tombstoning, beaches littered etc, the overriding demographic seems to be predominantly Millenials. Certainly litter has been around for years as has, by some, a total lack of social responsibility. But I would suggest that this generation (NB not all of them but a large percentage) have taken this to the next level. I then started thinking as to why this should be. Lack of any disincentives for, say, littering or breaking Covid restrictions. A £50 fine is nothing to a lot of them....quote "If I've had a good time then £50 is worth it". It's all about ME. Simple solution to that. Make the fine £500. End of.

But I think that the other main reason is poor parenting. But parenting has been going on for centuries and so why should it suddenly be failing ? Were there any external influences might there have been since 2000 that would have diverted and distracted parents from doing what they should have been doing?

There were.

Facebook - 2003

Twitter - 2006

I think that’s a good example of a non causal correlation. There was plenty of litter being dropped in the seventies . A more plausible explanation might be the explosion in the amount of plastic packaging (despite a long standing unenforced EC directive on it ) and council cuts meaning bins are emptied far less frequently if at all. One thing I would agree on is the sheer volume of food that is now consumed publicly. It’s not unusual to see children eating portions of food that would once have fed an adult. As for tombstoning it’s precisely the quality of reckless disregard for personal safety that earns you a medal in a war ( let’s hope it doesn’t come to that). One fact - alcohol consumption in the under 30’s is falling.

[LHC]

I suspect that another possible factor in this was the removal of public litter bins in the 80s (at least in London) as a response to the IRA using them as handy receptacles for bombs. One of the consequences was that a whole generation grew up without developing the habit of depositing their rubbish in public bins; they either had to discard it in the street, or take their rubbish home. Although many of the bins have now been replaced, I suspect this did have a deleterious impact on general behaviour and attitudes towards litter.

[Ein Heldenleben]

I suspect that another possible factor in this was the removal of public litter bins in the 80s (at least in London) as a response to the IRA using them as handy receptacles for bombs. One of the consequences was that a whole generation grew up without developing the habit of depositing their rubbish in public bins; they either had to discard it in the street, or take their rubbish home. Although many of the bins have now been replaced, I suspect this did have a deleterious impact on general behaviour and attitudes towards litter.

Good point .I get the impression that London spends a great deal more on street cleaning than most cities. Having said that I think is much less of a litter problem in cities now than in the 70’s. Our city employs Street wardens who hand out on the spot fines . They also have hideously large but effective and regularly emptied Street bins. I think the recent problems in London parks are down to huge numbers , full bins and people very selfishly not taking their rubbish home.

[Richard Barrett]

I suspect that another possible factor in this was the removal of public litter bins in the 80s (at least in London) as a response to the IRA using them as handy receptacles for bombs.

I think that's right, but Heldenleben's point about the increase in packaged foods and cuts in refuse collection must be a very strong factor. Having lived in a few different European countries I would say it's a general rule that you see far less litter in countries that have well organised refuse collection than in those where it's been cut to the bone, rather than having anything significant to do with what generation the people causing it belong to.

[Petrushka]

The biggest litterbugs round here are the dustmen! You can always tell when they've been by the trail of sandwich wrappers, cereal boxes etc, etc flapping about in the wind.

Nothing new about any of the OP's points though. Perhaps the 1970s Keep Britain Tidy films need to make a comeback?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl7FmbrMwjc

[Ein Heldenleben]

The biggest litterbugs round here are the dustmen! You can always tell when they've been by the trail of sandwich wrappers, cereal boxes etc, etc flapping about in the wind.

Nothing new about any of the OP's points though. Perhaps the 1970s Keep Britain Tidy films need to make a comeback?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl7FmbrMwjc

The one thing that has made a huge difference to reducing street litter locally has been the introduction of seagull and fox proof wheelie bins ..

[eighthobstruction]

.....Bonjour....detritus et ordures....https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-man-of-europe

[Serial_Apologist]

The one thing that has made a huge difference to reducing street litter locally has been the introduction of seagull and fox proof wheelie bins ..

Not rat-proof though, evidently. Three of our nine green wheelie bins have had corners nibbled away by said plasticholic rodents.

Tombstoning: a new word to add to my lexicon!

[Anastasius]

I suspect that another possible factor in this was the removal of public litter bins in the 80s (at least in London) as a response to the IRA using them as handy receptacles for bombs. One of the consequences was that a whole generation grew up without developing the habit of depositing their rubbish in public bins; they either had to discard it in the street, or take their rubbish home. Although many of the bins have now been replaced, I suspect this did have a deleterious impact on general behaviour and attitudes towards litter.

So...should not their parents be instilling in them some sort of civic and social responsibility ?

[Anastasius]

....people very selfishly not taking their rubbish home.

Precisely my point.

[Anastasius]

....

Tombstoning: a new word to add to my lexicon!

Also known as 'An application for a Darwin award'

[Richard Barrett]

So...should not their parents be instilling in them some sort of civic and social responsibility ?

Surely "their parents" are making just as much of a mess themselves. It seems to me that since the 1980s "civic and social responsibility" have been systematically replaced by the idea that there's "no such thing as society". That's where the "all about me" attitude really took root.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Surely "their parents" are making just as much of a mess themselves. It seems to me that since the 1980s "civic and social responsibility" have been systematically replaced by the idea that there's "no such thing as society". That's where the "all about me" attitude really took root.

Clearly you’re not in a household where the kids nag you over recycling, plastics , and other green issues before having yet another bath, insisting on foreign holidays and streaming constantly....

[Richard Barrett]

Clearly you’re not in a household where the kids nag you over recycling, plastics, and other green issues before having yet another bath, insisting on foreign holidays and streaming constantly....

I think I do a lot more streaming than anyone else in my family!