Litter by little: From Mexico to Japan, New Zealand could learn from cleaner countries

Thursday, 20 September 2018

Cigarette butts litter the grass in Wellington central.

Experts say by 2050 there's going to be more plastic in the sea than fish, so is New Zealand doing enough to clean up its act?

In New Zealand, takeaway packaging litters beaches, drains and roads, and fines are rarely issued.

We'd love to see your photos of you, you school, or organisation picking up litter. Send pictures and video to wellington@stuff.co.nz

So, how do they deal with it overseas? In Japan, a pride in public spaces means people litter extremely rarely, and in Calgary, Kigali and Singapore there are strict fines for littering.

* Litter by little: New Zealand's 'unhealthy culture' for plastic is increasing - and so is litter

* Litter by Little: We should all pick up a piece of litter a day - every day

* Litter by little: Muritai School shows how easy it is to pick up a piece of litter a day**

A single-use plastic bag ban is near in New Zealand, but some say we lag behind.

South Africa's ban was in 2003, and France banned free plastic bags at grocery stores in 2016.

Piles of litter were left around Queenstown Bay after the Christmas Day party in 2017.

France have also passed a law that says all plastic plates, cups, and utensils will be banned by 2020, but in New Zealand's stores, individually plastic-wrapped bread buns are normal, and plastic utensils wrapped in plastic are too.

Forest & Bird have said New Zealand seas are the riskiest in the world for seabirds as they consume plastic rubbish.

Sustainable Coastlines co-founder Camden Howitt called New Zealand 'one of the worst consumers of waste in the world'.

It was lagging behind 'on a range of different levels'.

So how are some cities in Japan, Switzerland and Sweden so spotless?

Howitt said he lived in Japan for nine years. Apartment blocks would have their own recycling bin collection system with different bins for specific types of plastic.

'Each item has to be cleaned before you put it in to the bin. A sushi container would be washed like you're going to use it again. 'It was very strict.'

Victoria University senior lecturer in Japanese Dr Dennitza Gabrakova said in Japan, children were taught how to clean their school.

In Tokyo, public toilets, streets, parks, lakes, and public places in general are almost completely litter-free.

There was a sense of community which provided a perception everyone was monitored, she said.

'People don't want to do anything to attract negative attention.'

Unlike New Zealand, there were few rubbish bins. Most people would take their rubbish with them back to their home or office, she said.

There was a pride in public spaces, she said.

'It's very difficult to litter in a place which is already very clean.'

Hamburg was called the cleanest city in the world in 2017 by Citi IO.

Howitt said while visiting France he had not noticed plastic bags in any stores.

In Mexico, he said he noted a widely-used container deposit legislation - a refundable fee to the price of drinks and other items.

'We could certainly learn from that. It's been proven time and time again that it works.'

Bottle deposit schemes have emerged worldwide as a way to keep plastic out of the environment - but New Zealand doesn't have one.

Australia will have them in all states by the end of 2018, and Germany has a 98 per cent recycling rate on plastic bottles already.

Kiwi Bottle Drive campaign co-ordinator Holly Dove wants the same scheme in New Zealand, and said it would decrease litter and stop plastic entering waterways.

People would be able to make a profit from their waste, bottle deposit work would benefit small communities, and refunds could be used for fundraising, she said.

Associate Minister for the Environment Eugenie Sage said 'we can do better and we should'.

If nothing changed, that plastic in oceans would weigh more than all the fish that live in them by 2050, she said.

'Litter is pollution. It can harm wildlife and it shows a lack of aroha and respect for our neighbourhoods and nature.'

PICK, PIC AND BIN

Please join us in making our environment a cleaner, better place. Pick up some litter, email us a photo and caption, and join the Litterati Photo Gallery.

We'll update the gallery daily to recognise all the good sorts making a difference.

Captions should include your name, along with location and date of rubbish pick-up. And please add any other information you think relevant or interesting. Email us at wellington@stuff.co.nz