Yes, we don’t live in the great Pacific garbage patch or Chile’s Atacama Desert, where thousands of tonnes of unsold fast fashion is dumped every year.
But Northern Ireland has a waste problem.
For you and me, it’s visible on our dirty streets where bins overflow and rubbish is dumped by those who can’t be bothered to find one.
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Then there’s the huge amounts of litter hidden in the underbrush at train halts, under roadside bridges and along our sprawling network of roads that never seems to get cleaned up.
I, for one, am sick to the back teeth of seeing the huge amounts of waste uncovered when relentless grass cutters get to work hacking at our beautiful, native wildflower verges in summer leaving behind a trail of yellowed stumps peppered generously with litter.
And I can’t for the life of me figure out why they don’t clean up the rubbish they have uncovered with their mowers and strimmers when they are done - would it be too much to expect them to finish the job and leave the place looking as tidy as it did when all that waste was camouflaged by what they just cut away.
Or is it because these days, common sense has gone to hell and their one and only job is to mow grass?
In all honesty, we really only need to cut our roadside verges in May and then again in September if we want to recreate the amazing verges seen right across England the Republic of Ireland.
But back to litter and the grime, worn into just about every concrete surface we have including the sides of the Westlink, motorway bridges and footpaths across our cities, towns and villages.
Large parts on NI look run down and the growing number of dilapidated and abandoned buildings authorities are letting landbankers sit on while the crumble before our eyes really isn’t helping the situation either.
If we can’t get even the basics, like keeping our country clean and tidy (without using nature killing pesticides) right, then what chance have we got on bigger things like creating civic spaces people can feel safe in and proud of?
When it comes to rubbish, I know we wouldn’t have a problem if people did the right thing and took it home with them or put it in a street bin.
But we still have scumbags up and down the country throwing their waste out car windows, onto the street and not giving a hoot about it. And the only way we can get those people to stop, is to make it impossible for them to get away with it.
Councils no doubt have huge street cleansing overheads.
It’s their responsibility to make sure our streets are clean and free of litter. But they clearly don’t have the resources available to do what’s needed and if we want people to leave here shouting from the rooftops about how a great a wee place we all live in - we need proper investment in cleaning the place up.
And please, somebody, get a cleaning crew on the job when the roadside verges are cut.
You wouldn’t leave a mess like that in your own garden and it’s not ok to leave litter strewn right across the countryside where it can below into rivers, lakes and waterways and burden nature.
Chewing gum, electrical and packaging waste on the agenda
Environment chiefs are running a series of webinars on tackling new problems areas when it comes to waste, like packaging, electrical goods and chewing gum waste starting this September.
While much of the responsibility falls to councils, the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs oversees NI’s waste issues.
The first in the new series of webinars focuses on extended producer responsibility and aims to incentivise them to make better, more sustainable decisions at the design stage so more products can be re-used of recycled at the end of their life.
DAERA officials plan to set out the latest thinking in the first online session on September 23, when they will also discuss the upcoming waste strategy for NI.
Batteries, textiles, bulky waste, construction waste and tobacco waste will be covered in further sessions.
You can join the webinar by registering your interest by e-mail to EPRTeam@daera-ni-gov.uk with your name, organisation and contact details.
An impressive feat across three generations
A huge well done to the three generations of the Hanson family who have just cycled from Kerry to Antrim to fundraise for Tearfund and Jubilee’s work to tackle the causes and effects of climate change!
John Hanson, his son Jonny and Jonny’s 10 and 11-year-old children, Bethany and Joshua, took on the challenge to mark the 40th anniversary of their grandad’s 13,000 mile round the world cycle from Dungannon with friend John Rodgers.
A book about that epic journey in 1981, which raised £50,000 for Tearfund, is on display to this day in the Ulster Transport Museum.
This year, the foursome set off from Tralee on August 14 on two tandems for the 307 mile cycle to Jubilee Farm, Co Antrim.
Joshua and Bethany, who just finished P6 and P7 at Olderfleet PS in Larne, said ahead of the challenge they were “looking forward to seeing different parts of Ireland and feeling good about cycling across it”.
Jonny said after they finished the journey: "Altogether, we completed 366 miles from Tralee to Larne. The journey was tiring and challenging but hugely rewarding. Just like our collective progress towards sustainability!"
I’m sure you’ll agree it’s an impressive feat at any age.
You can still donate to their fundraiser here.
Please shop local
It’s more important than ever to buy local.
Local produce has a smaller carbon footprint because it doesn’t have to come from as far away in largely fossil fuelled ships and lorries, so giving the local farm shop, grocer, fruit and veg shop supports both the local economy and the climate.
I spoke to chair of UFU’s potato committee, David McElrea, this week and it seems there’s a looming shortage of spuds, since we import so much of our historic staple from GB where extreme heat has hit the crop.
I think we can expect more issues like this as the climate crisis takes hold.
But Mr McElrea says farmers here are trying to grow more spuds locally so we don’t have to rely on imports.
And if we’re eating what’s grown right here and support those growing it - it can only help provide better food security in the years to come and help reduce its carbon footprint.
A win, win all round in my book.
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