A litter problem?

I find it interesting that this country thinks it has a litter problem. Anyone visiting from overseas notices how clean NZ is right away, as I have blogged before.

But, I guess even places that seem under control have the 'problem children' to deal with, so one Taranaki District is trying to keep it under control.

New Plymouth District Council crackdown on littering looms

By RYAN EVANS - Taranaki Daily New

Hefty fines could be on the way for people caught littering around New Plymouth.

The worst offenders could face fines of up to $400 under a proposal being considered by the New Plymouth District Council.

People caught committing less serious littering offences would attract fines of between $100 and $300.

The move comes against a backdrop of growing community concern over the problem of littering, rubbish dumping and broken glass on public and private land. In the year to June 30, the New Plymouth District Council fielded 654 littering complaints, 239 of which related to broken glass and 40 related to rubbish dumped on reserve land.

The council's roading and parks departments spent a combined total of $860,000 a year for routine cleaning and litter collection around the district.

...more here....

We were in New Plymouth yesterday taking photos of the beach and were approached by the writer of this article for our opinions (which we were more than willing to share!).

I have to admire the steps this country takes to keep it litter-free and fines might be a deterrent. But I'm convinced that instilling a sense of responsibility will be of much more use.

I might not like some things about NZers..

...but I have to admit that New Zealand is a very clean place--literally. You don't see burger wrappers and drink cups and unmentionable things lying on the side of the road or blown up onto the hillside. Even in the 'big cities' there's not much litter and it's usually taken care of promptly. I guess that's one of the perks of being a country about the size of Nebraska.



In Taranaki, there is a company that does all the construction work for the area and it looks like part of their contract is to make sure that the curbsides are clean. It has rained a LOT lately and right now I am watching one of their workers shoveling mud and debris [pronounces 'deb-riss, here] into the back of a modified pickup--I mean, ute--as another worker slowly drives it along.

And, since community is a big part of the school system--don't get me started on what it lacks...but I digress--I notice that the children I see, including our two, put wrappers in their pockets or run to the nearest rubbish bin to dispose of them instead of dropping them where they stand. 


Of course, our share of litter has ended up in the washing machine filter, but I guess it's easier to live with there than on the roadside.