Now that we’ve all stepped up our litter picking activities these past weeks, how has it made you feel???
A Bit better........?
There’s no scientific evidence that litter picking can help wellbeing, but there are some very good reasons that it might. Here are a few – maybe you have more
You meet other people. Being locked down has been very difficult, especially if you’ve been home with just the cat/your partner/yourself for company (delete as appropriate). Getting out to pick litter will guarantee one of two reactions. Some people will look at you as if you are Stig of the Dump as you wander along with your picker and bag (or maybe that just happens to me) or they might just stop to say thank you and have a chat. It's a fantastic ice-breaker!
You see an improvement in the local environment. The war on litter might never be won but most of us have noticed positive progress in the village and popular places like The Dam and Spud Wood. It’s nice to think we’ve all helped in making the difference.
You’re an influencer! Yes, really – and you didn’t have to go all the way to Dubai to do it! Other locals have noted what we are doing and have started to join in. Several of the professional dog walkers are now picking up (armfuls in the case of Sow Brook) having spoken to us. Some of the schools and the Cricket Club also seem to have had a bit of clear up. Have your friends started to join you too?
You are keeping active. We all know, it’s not always easy to motivate yourself to exercise. Going out for a walk with a picker gives a bit more sense of purpose to a walk and maybe takes you further than you might usually go.
How good does giving back feel! It’s nice to know you have had a positive impact, especially when you see the big bag of litter you’ve collected, or, when it’s legal, the cheery sense of community from a single litter pick and the satisfaction of seeing 6 or 7 bagfuls.
A litter-free Cross
Finally, back in October, Salford Now newspaper ran a story about a Danielle Wright who believed that the litter picking she did for half an hour a day during lockdown helped her cope during lockdown and may have saved her life. She has now founded the the Group Salford Litter Heroes.
She says ‘Litter picking is the way I get outside but also a form of exercise which again improves your mental health, so even if you’re just having a tough day, litter picking is one of those activities where you don’t have to think about anything else.
“I think about work all the time and it just gets a bit over whelming especially when there are other thing to be worrying about. If you’re just litter picking even with headphones on you can just go off on your own, you’re forced to think about nothing and focus on what you are doing. It’s really rewarding.’
Danielle on a litter pick
If litter picking has been positive for you – or even if it hasn’t (and it can seem a bit relentless), do comment. It would be good to know.
I've enjoyed it! I love going back past the areas I've cleared and seeing them look litter free for weeks, I feel if the area is clear it seems to stay like that for a while, I've had lovely chats with people and got relatives and friends involved, in a world of a lot of negative information this is a way of making you feel positive and good about yourself and others you meet.