The beaches, the parks, the countryside; the pandemic taught us to appreciate the fresh air and open expanses of the outdoors.
When feeling claustrophobic or isolated in the house, many of us found peace of mind in nature.
As expected, post-lockdown, people have visited their local beauty spots in their thousands to enjoy the sun, have a picnic, and finally see friends (socially distanced, of course).
Unfortunately, the aftermath of the post-lockdown celebrations has been damning.
A few people continue to dump rubbish and litter, plaguing the beaches and countryside, and ruining the natural landscape of the world.
In the UK, litter clean-up projects cost taxpayers £1 billion a year.
The litter problem in South Wales is huge, evident in the piles of rubbish left on the beaches every morning.
Studies have shown that in Wales, 50% of all litter found outdoors could have been recycled if it had been taken home and disposed of correctly.
How long does it take for litter to decompose?
Starting from a few weeks to a month, we have: apple cores, paper towels, newspapers, tissues, paper bags, and juice cartons.
Cotton clothing and paperback back books take from 6 months to a year, whilst orange peels can take up to two years.
Nappies can take 30-40 years, however, depending on their condition, certain nappies can take up to 500 years to decompose.
Foam coffee cups and tin cans take 50 years, whilst crisps packets last for around 80 years.
Plastic bottles can last up to 500 years, however, some of the materials never fully biodegrade and harmful chemical can remain in the soil or sand.
With these figures in mind, we must remember to take our litter home and perhaps think about the items we use in our day-to-day lives.
Keep our natural landscape clean.
Disposable masks
It is predicted that during these times of COVID-19, 19 billion disposable masks will be used in the UK this year.
That is around 52 million single use face masks a day.
It is hard to imagine just how many of these masks end up as litter each day.
Due to the polypropylene these masks are made from, they can take up to 450 years to decompose.
We are saying to not wear a mask, we all must follow the guidelines. But just bear in mind how long these masks last, and think before you aimlessly throw them away in the park or beach.
The Impact Litter has on the Coastline.
70% of our planet is covered in oceans.
South Wales is bordered by the sea and boasts a beautiful coastline rich with coves, bays and beaches.
Although the beaches of South Wales can often be found covered in litter, it cannot be understated how much of it ends up being washed out to sea.
Globally, it is estimated that around 10 million tonnes of litter end up in the world’s seas and coastlines every year.
Plastics are by far the most significant debris found in the world’s oceans, and although most of this figure is industrial materials, we need to recognise our contribution to this issue.
Plastics and litter have a detrimental effect on marine life and the environment.
Take litter home, keep our beaches clean, and protect the stunning South Welsh coastline.
Regimental Cleaning Services will dedicate 30 members of staff to weekly litter picking activities.
In light of all of these reasons, here are Regimental Cleaning Services we have decided to launch the Clean is Green Campaign.
Our mission is to raise awareness of the benefits of a clean environment.
We will do our bit in ensuring to recycle and use environmentally friendly and organic materials; And, to tackle the litter problem in South Wales, we will complete litter picking operations in our downtime.
Of course, the main aim of this operation will be to clean the parks and beaches, but another one of our essential objectives will be to educate.
Some people simply do not understand the harm in littering.
We hope that by dedicating staff to litter picking and raising awareness of the issues, other companies will follow suit and clean the environment around their workplaces.
Would you drop litter if you knew one of your family members will be cleaning it up at work?
Would you drop litter and leave broken glass on the beach if you saw people carry out litter picks and cleaning up after your mess?
We hope the answer is no, and we hope that through our Clean is Green initiative, Regimental Cleaning Services can do its bit to tackle the litter problem in South Wales.