This year, 8 million tonnes of toxic chemicals were released, according to Worldometer; the environment is now a major concern for the UK and the world.
Policies like the recent ULEZ are all too familiar, yet there seems to be more unprecedented roadside pollution than ever before.
Why is this?
Multiple plastic bags, discarded furniture and even a whole child's bike on the highway roads leading to Greenwich.
London radios played an outrageously relevant advertisement in August: over 3 million animals, including hedgehogs, stray dogs, cats and squirrels die from eating roadside rubbish every year.
The fact that the sheer amount of trash irresponsibly thrown out of a car window is killing more animals than animal testing annually, should make London environmental campaigners – who don’t live close to a coast – thankful that none of it is contributing to the dreadful ocean garbage patches.
Residents who live near Warring Park, Sidcup in East London were asked regarding their observations on the state of streets in local places they have been.
Local and regular visitor Mrs Gao reported that she had seen “huge piles of rubbish – particularly on the way to Abbey Wood, Bluewater and Bromley,” with over half being “plastic bottles and cardboard boxes”.
Other acts of irresponsibility also included the “discarding of shopping carts kilometres away from where they should be; environmental care seemed to have deteriorated after the 2020 lockdown."
“Instead of throwing away their finished fast food”, reported the second interviewee, some were inconsiderately "left on the ground": this can be commonly observed in populated places such as high streets.
“This is detrimental to the health of pet dogs”, who often like to swallow dropped bones, chips and crumbs, causing choking and death for many.
The third interviewee regarded - waves of actions can be done to prevent this from exacerbating.
“We need collective council action to routinely maintain cleanliness of the streets," other solutions can include fining polluters and educating environmental awareness.
The interviewed Warring Park, London locals believe streets can be cleaned with council support; however, concerns should be raised regarding the alarming level of roadside rubbish pollution present on streets and highways.
