Keeping Britain Tidy

Keep Britain TidyLondon is one of the most thought after and glamorous cities in the UK. When we think about the capital, we envision glorious city lights, incredible shops, glamorous restaurants, buzzing bars and extraordinary attractions. However, we never think of how dirty and messy the London really is.

In a recent study conducted by Keep Britain Tidy, it was revealed that over half of the city’s litter is cigarette packets. Not cigarette butts, which you can understand if there isn’t a bin nearby and you don’t want to burn your finger, but cigarette packets. If you can’t see a bin, keep it in your bag or briefcase, then throw it away when you pass one.

This is a shocking result and a huge rise from last year, when cigarette packets only accounted for 14% of waste found on the London footpaths; now it is at 62%. However, this statistic is only true of London, elsewhere in the country, fast food packets are the source of most litter found on the British streets.

This is a big concern for Keep Britain Tidy and the government, as this issue costs up to £858 million a year. Chief executive Phil Barton commented: "We need to make a change so that this country is no longer a place where it is, seemingly, acceptable for some to throw litter."

In recent news Cambridge has been adding more waste bins to help tackle this problem. It will be interesting to see what London will be doing to combat this challenge.