No Litter Day for a litter-free future

Most people think that it is totally wrong to throw rubbish in the street or countryside. Yet we see litter strewn all over towns, in rural areas and on beaches.

What can we do to change this?

KappAhl is working in partnership with organisations committed to the prevention and elimination of litter in our four sales countries:

• In Sweden: Keep Sweden Tidy Foundation
• In Norway: The Norwegian Retailers Environment Fund
• In Finland: Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association
• In Poland: Our Earth Foundation

In the previous financial year, we donated SEK 3 million of the money generated by our One Bag Habit bag sales to these organisations to support their work of creating a cleaner and sustainable future.

The organisations are working proactively to tackle the issue of littering, primarily by encouraging children and young people to adopt good environmental habits in order to establish sustainable behaviour at an early age. The annual No Litter Day event is part of this. Children and young people (adults are welcome too) all over the world will be joining forces today to pick up litter around their schools, residential areas and villages. Many of them weigh what they collect and send in a data report so that the total weight of the litter picked up around the world can be calculated.

Would you also like to help reduce litter?

Pick up litter! If you pick up litter as you take a walk in the countryside it brings a double benefit. Or perhaps you prefer the more energetic #plogging which combines jogging with picking up litter (check out all the inspiring posts on social media).

Facts about littering

• Littering is an eyesore, it spreads unnatural substances, unbalances the ecosystem, causes injury to animals and damages the natural environment.
• Sooner or later, nearly all litter that is left lying on the ground ends up in our oceans where there are mountains of plastic drifting about. When we consume fish and shellfish that have mistakenly eaten plastic floating in the sea, the toxic plastic particles are transferred to us. Plastic can have adverse effects on the immune system and hormone levels.
• Huge sums of taxpayers’ money are spent on clearing up litter.
• Research shows that areas degraded by litter are prone to vandalism and graffiti and people feel less safe in these areas.
• Litter is a byproduct of consumerism in our society and is negative behaviour – discarded waste that should be recycled instead. Litter and rubbish are resources that are wasted by ending up in the wrong place.
• But! It is easy to do something about littering. Just don’t do it.

Posted by Annakarin Thelin