New data shows 23 items of rubbish are dropped in the UK every second
Shocking data has revealed the true impact of the UK’s litter crisis, with cigarettes being the most irresponsibly disposed item.
Data found by Regatta and Keep Britain Tidy shows approximately 30% of litter in the UK is smoking-related, with a staggering 244 million cigarette butts discarded as litter.
According to Keep Britain Tidy, which exists to try to eliminate litter and end waste, two million pieces of rubbish are dropped every day across the country. This means that 23 items of rubbish are dropped every second on average.
“Due to the impact of the Coronavirus, more people than ever have gone out on walks and to explore their local green spaces. The amount of litter dropped by visitors saw local people become frustrated on social media as day-trippers left piles of rubbish lying around instead of taking it home with them,” says a spokesperson for Regatta.
However, this rubbish isn’t just ruining some of the best landscapes in the UK – it’s also having a serious impact on people and the environment.
Keep Britain Tidy recently revealed that street cleaning costs taxpayers more than £1 billion every year, showing the litter crisis isn’t just costing the planet anymore, but the public too.
Meanwhile, RSPCA announced recently they receive an average of 14 calls a day about wildlife harmed by litter, and the organisation suggests that the actual number of animals affected by rubbish is likely to be much higher.
“We all enjoy the great outdoors, and more recently with lockdown easing, people have been admiring all the UK has to offer more than ever.
“We hoped that comparing the litter crisis to one of the UK’s most loved and respected landscapes, we’d be able to encourage others to be mindful of littering and to get involved with a local clean-up event,” a spokesperson for Regatta continued.
UK Health Minister Matt Hancock has released details of another mutation of the coronavirus. Two cases of the variant, which is linked to South Africa, have now been reported in the UK.
Scotland has introduced further controls on travellers to and from South Africa with immediate effect.
Mr Hancock told yesterday’s Downing Street press conference: “I want to tell you about developments on another new strain of this virus.
“Of course, the fight against this virus is a global effort. And we are constantly vigilant and looking around the world.
As part of our surveillance, and thanks to the impressive genomic capability of the South Africans, we have detected 2 cases of another new variant of coronavirus here in the UK.
“Both are contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks.
“The Chief Scientific Advisor and Chief Medical Officer and others met their South African counterparts over the last day.
“We are incredibly grateful to the South African Government for the rigour of their science, and the openness and the transparency with which they have rightly acted, as we did when we discovered the new variant here.
“This new variant is highly concerning, because it is yet more transmissible and it appeared to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered here.
“We have taken the following action.
“First, we are quarantining cases, and close contacts of cases, found here in the UK.
“Second, we are placing immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa.
“Finally, and most importantly, anyone in the UK who has been in South Africa in the past fortnight, and anyone who has been in close contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight, must quarantine immediately.
“By quarantine, I mean they must restrict all contact with any other person whatsoever.
“We will be changing the law to give this legal effect imminently.
“These measures are temporary, while we investigate this further new strain, which is currently being analysed at Porton Down.
“And I want to thank everyone involved for the seriousness with which I know they will take these instructions.”
Scottish Ministers have agreed on the basis of advice from senior clinical advisers to introduce further controls on travellers who have been in South Africa in the previous 10 days.
Regulations will require all UK nationals or residents returning to Scotland from South Africa to isolate for 10 days. This will apply to both the individual traveller and their household. Unlike travel into Scotland from other countries, there will be no exemptions to this quarantine policy.
All measures relating to South Africa will be reviewed in light of emerging evidence on the public health risks.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: “These steps are a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of a variant strain of coronavirus which has been detected in South Africa, which we are still in the early stages of learning about, to Scotland.
“This decision has been taken on clinical advice to help further safeguard public health and keep communities safe.”
Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “A mutated strain of the virus has been detected in South Africa with greater transmissibility between humans and it is appropriate that we err on the side of caution.
“We do not want to see transmission of this strain in this country and it is imperative that anybody who has recently travelled from South Africa, and their household, should self-isolate for 10 days and follow the guidance laid out by the Scottish Government. If needed, they should contact NHS 24.”
Work will also be undertaken to contact individuals who have recently arrived in the country from South Africa in the last 10 days who may have had a sectoral exemption to encourage them and their households of the need to isolate.
Targeted approach planned for high prevalence areas
Community testing in areas with high coronavirus (COVID-19) prevalence will begin in January, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has announced.
In a statement to Parliament on Scotland’s testing and vaccination programmes, Ms Freeman confirmed that community testing resources will be targeted at communities with high transmission rates, following successful trials in early December.
Local authorities will be asked to submit proposals for the programme in early January, which will be delivered in partnership with NHS Boards and supported with additional funding and resources, including mobile testing units and asymptomatic test sites, to provide PCR and lateral flow testing respectively.
In order to better target community testing, waste water sampling undertaken by SEPA and Scottish Water to track COVID prevalence will be expanded from 60 to around 200 tests per week throughout Scotland by the end of January, supported by £1.1 million in additional funding.
Discussions with local authorities are also underway regarding two models of school testing to be trialled in January. The first model will involve in-school testing using lateral flow devices, while the second will involve at-home sampling for PCR testing.
Ms Freeman also confirmed that a total of 56,676 people have received their first dose in the first two weeks of the COVID-19 vaccination programme, which aims to vaccinate all those on the JCVI prioritisation list by the end of Spring 2021. Once this group is complete, vaccination will start for the wider population, subject to available supplies.
The use of larger centres in heavily populated areas such as Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, and Lanarkshire is being investigated to supplement local and mobile solutions for those in remote and rural areas.
NHS Boards have also been asked to continue recruitment and redeployment, with the aim of securing around 1400 vaccinators and 800 support staff by the end of January.
Ms Freeman said: “I want to acknowledge the sheer effort that has been put in to enable what has been delivered already through our testing and vaccination programmes, and what we will deliver, as I have set out in Parliament today.
“Each of these programmes presents a major logistical challenges in and of themselves. Many people from different organisations and communities have come together to make them possible and I want to put on record my sincere thanks to everyone involved.
“These are incredibly tough times for everyone, at the end of what has already been an incredibly tough year, but this continued expansion of our testing and vaccination programmes will help us meet the challenge we face to drive down COVID rates in Scotland to the lowest possible level.
“Both are vital tools in our work to suppress the virus to the lowest possible level in Scotland, but they are only as important as the other measures we have including the Levels approach, enhanced support for our NHS and care sectors and critically, individuals doing the right thing by following FACTS – all of which are crucial to prevent the spread of this harmful virus through our communities.”
F – Face coverings A – Avoid crowded places C – Clean your hands regularly T – Two metres distance S – Self isolate and book a test if you have symptoms
