Having just marked Mental Health Awareness Week, this year’s theme of ‘nature’ seems very appropriate after a year where we have all had to embrace the outdoors for our daily exercise or to spend time with friends and family. Just a few weeks ago I replied to a Westminster Hall debate on the benefits of nature to our own wellbeing. Studies show that people who visit nature regularly feel their lives to be more worthwhile. Yet so often, our enjoyment of the outdoors is limited by the litter that blights the countryside.
I hate litter. Over the years it has become something of an obsession to me. It affects our wildlife and has a serious impact on our communities. All types of litter take time to degrade: cigarette butts take over two years, plastic bags ten to twenty years and plastic bottles can last forever. Yet litter is entirely a problem we create. My good friend and fellow DEFRA Minister, Rebecca Pow, has been in charge of steering the Environment Bill through Parliament. It is the largest piece of legislation in decades and will change the way we think about litter and recycling in a fundamental way.
New legislation is only part of the solution. We also need to change our own behaviour and take responsibility. Ever since I was first elected in 2015, I have been proud to champion the Great British Spring Clean – an annual event organised by Keep Britain Tidy. Now in its sixth year, it is the country’s largest mass-action environmental campaign. Last year, more than half a million Litter Heroes dedicated their time to clean up Britain’s streets, parks and beaches.
The great clean up returns this year between 28 May and 13 June. I am already looking forward to doing my bit in the constituency. I hope others can be encouraged to do the same. People can get involved by themselves or as a small group. Further advice and information as well as a ‘Pledge to Pick’ can be found on www.greatbritishspringclean.org.uk. Don’t forget to let me know if you organise your own clean up by emailing me at: [email protected]. We all have a part to play in keeping the country clean.
