UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT

United Nations Environmental Programme

Picking up litter: Pointless exercise or powerful tool in the battle to beat plastic pollution?

There is compelling evidence that cleanup campaigns, like the Great Plastic Pick Up (and World CleanUp Day), do make a difference and not just in the short term.

Every piece of trash that is taken away to be recycled or deposited in a landfill means there is one less dangerous item for birds, turtles or whales to swallow. Cleanups also restore these creatures’ habitats.

Cleanups also serve to educate. When volunteers see just how much plastic is deposited on our shores, they are often inspired to reduce their reliance on single-use plastics, and, crucially, to spread the word to others.

These are excerpts from a longer article. The full article is well worth reading. See the Full Article