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, revealing that 23 items of rubbish are dropped in Britain every second with cigarettes being the most irresponsibly disposed item.

Data found by the outdoor clothing brand 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. However, it is only a fraction of the litter crisis with millions of confectionary items, drinks and fast food contributing to the crisis too.

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. It also makes Britain one of the worst-performing countries for litter disposal in all of Europe.

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.

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, the RSPCA announced recently that 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. Regatta, therefore, hopes these shocking stats will encourage people to be mindful of littering. Some of the ways in which the British public can help are by organising a clean-up event, picking up litter when you are out for a walk or reporting incidents to your local council.