I’ve just come back from a three-day break in Grasmere in the Lake District and, apart from feeling suitably refreshed and chilled out after some quality walking in one of the most beautiful and uplifting parts of the country, I was struck by the apparent lack of litter around and about the place.
According to Keep Britain Tidy’s stats and surveys, people are less likely to litter an area if it’s well kept and stays free of litter. But what about the people who lead to this lack of litter – the hundreds of thousands of walkers who tramp the fells and hillside footpaths of the Lakes year after year? What makes them do the right thing and take their rubbish home? Perhaps there is merit in Keep Britain Tidy partnering with The Ramblers to research their members’ attitudes towards littering and how best to foster the right approach. Of course, the Lake District’s stunning scenery is a vital element in deterring litterers, however we also have great views around our coastlines and beaches and that doesn’t stop those being despoiled with unsightly rubbish.
So, maybe we do have something to learn from walkers who, on the evidence of my visit to Cumbria, seem to be doing the right thing. This Walker was certainly impressed and inspired by their actions.
Walker's Rambles 