In praise of the litter pickers.

[gaffr]

Rubbish disposed of by walkers and motorists and others is a blight on the Highlands. Especially so when out on the stride extender I regularly meet folks with the safety jackets on and with the grabbing sticks picking up thrown away litter on the paths, beside cycle tracks and the verges of the roads around the National Park. In praise of an elderly gentleman from Kincraig who is often out clearing away the junk thrown from vehicles, the folks from the estates of Dunachton and Alvie out with the small buggies collecting stuff heaved out of fast moving vehicles on the dualled part of the A9. I am often having to kick broken glass away from the hard surface of the of the track to avoid tyre and inner tyre damage.
In praise also of the folks who I have met on the Rothiemurchus Trails including the Loggers Way with sacks of picked up rubbish and not forgetting of the Group of folks from Dalwhinnie picking litter on the old Glen Truim road and around the village on Sunday yesterday.....possibly the main offenders here are those that choose the take away packs of food from the cafes with all sorts of plastic wrapping stuff. However for a real horror show travel the trail beside the A9 from Dalwhinnie down to Dalnacardoch to witness motorists at their worst with junk heaved over the bank between road and bike track especially so at the various laybys where all sorts of junk reaches the bike trail.

[Giant Stoneater]

I walked all the way back from Sow of Atholl to Dalwhinnie and could not believe the amount of rubbish there was along side the cycle track, the most annoying thing was lack of bins in the laybys and others where they had not been emptied and left to overflow for weeks i presume going by the litter that was strewn everywhere.
Very nice for people to volunteer to litter pick, my wife does this around Carnoustie, but the reality is that should not be happening if there was some sort of programme to educate from nursery upwards where children learn how it effects the land, sea, widlife etc, maybe there would be more respect for the landscape etc.

[Spade]

Yes hats off to the litter pickers, one and all . I occasionally pick up some rubbish - usually discarded plastic bottles or cans found on remote paths. What I find truly appalling is discarded filled plastic dog poo bags - revolting!! and being plastic will take years to degrade - not to mention the contents. These plastic dog poo bags should be banned and biodegradable alternatives marketed.

[ChrisButch]

. These plastic dog poo bags should be banned and biodegradable alternatives marketed.

A biodegradable alternative doesn't need to be marketed. The biodegradeable alternative, if you're not going to carry the contents out or to a bin, is always available free: it's not to bag it at all, but simply kick or sweep into the undergrowth. The mentality of going to the trouble of bagging it, but then abandoning it, defeats me.

[Spade]

The mentality of going to the trouble of bagging it, but then abandoning it, defeats me.

Absolutely, the absence of mentality or reasonable responsibility is also bagged along with the mess and also abandoned.

Even worse - tie it on to a branch!!!

[cruachan06]

The one that's bugging me at the moment on the cycling and running routes is gel wrappers. You had a pocket or belt to carry it with you, carry it back out with you as well.

Oh, and where routes are shared with horse tracks. Dog owners are required to clear up after themselves, but horse riders don't have to deal with the much nastier mess they leave.

[Giant Stoneater]

Biodegradable vs Compostable Plastic Bags: What’s the difference?

https://greentumble.com/biodegradable-vs-compostable-plastic-bags-whats-the-difference/#produce

[Booga]

The one that's bugging me at the moment on the cycling and running routes is gel wrappers. You had a pocket or belt to carry it with you, carry it back out with you as well.

I once stopped at a beauty spot car park which had been used as a refuelling point for a cycle event, even at an organised event there were gel sachets all over the ground. I can't remember if there were extra litter bins alongside the tables which were handing gels out but there's really no excuse as there were plenty of permanent bins there anyway.

I wonder if fewer cyclists and runners would do this if they didn't see professional athletes tossing aside water bottles, cups etc on TV? The old "kids spit because they see their football heroes spit" phenomenon.

Oh, and where routes are shared with horse tracks. Dog owners are required to clear up after themselves, but horse riders don't have to deal with the much nastier mess they leave.

Yep, my village has a back lane behind the houses of the main street which is used by walkers, runners etc and at some points there have been huge piles of horse manure that are almost impossible to avoid without stepping off the path into the bushes, these then get ridden though by people on bikes. It wouldn't be hard to say horse riders have to clear up after themselves, they could arry one of those folding shovels to at least move it off the middle of the trails. Then again it seems most of the local dog walkers are of the "bag it and leave it" variety so I doubt the horse riders would be any more considerate.

[boriselbrus]

I wonder if fewer cyclists and runners would do this if they didn't see professional athletes tossing aside water bottles, cups etc on TV? The old "kids spit because they see their football heroes spit" phenomenon.

This is now banned at the pro tour races such as the Tour de France unless you are in a designated litter zone.

Riders have been thrown out of races for not complying.

We use compostable dog bags. They work well and I also use them to bring home my apple cores and banana skins from the hills. They go on the compost heap and rot down very quickly. Non compostable ones should be banned., just another bit of single use plastic.

[mrssanta]

The one that's bugging me at the moment on the cycling and running routes is gel wrappers. You had a pocket or belt to carry it with you, carry it back out with you as well.

Oh, and where routes are shared with horse tracks. Dog owners are required to clear up after themselves, but horse riders don't have to deal with the much nastier mess they leave.

Horses being vegetarian, their poo might be bigger, but it's not nearly as nasty or prone to spread disease as dog poo. It's mainly just half composted grass.
My mum collects it for the garden

[cruachan06]

This is now banned at the pro tour races such as the Tour de France unless you are in a designated litter zone.

I've seen as well in events like the Great Scottish Run they ask everyone to throw their bottles to one side of the road after the water stops for easier cleanup, or carry them to the nearest bin or to the finish. It's particularly annoying in places I use a lot like Chatelherault or Strathclyde Parks, which have loads of litter bins on the paths.

Horses being vegetarian, their poo might be bigger, but it's not nearly as nasty or prone to spread disease as dog poo. It's mainly just half composted grass.
My mum collects it for the garden

Maybe it's not as bad in terms of disease, but it's unsightly, it smells, you wouldn't want to step in it and running or walking past it in hot weather means disturbing a horde of flies.

[RocksRock]

I've seen horses in the street here wearing an item a cross between a nappy and a bag, which catches solid effluent. Rider disposes of contents at end of ride. Not common, but not unknown either. What's good for towns can be good can work in the hills and glens too.

[Booga]

This is now banned at the pro tour races such as the Tour de France unless you are in a designated litter zone.

Riders have been thrown out of races for not complying.

Good to hear this rule has come into force.

I've seen horses in the street here wearing an item a cross between a nappy and a bag, which catches solid effluent. Rider disposes of contents at end of ride. Not common, but not unknown either. What's good for towns can be good can work in the hills and glens too.

I've seen horses pulling carts with this sort of arrangement, a kind of tarp between the back of the horse and the front of the cart which can catch the devil's dumplings and stop them landing all over the street for motoryclists to wipe out on etc. I'll admit to not being a horsey person so maybe this is law for horse drawn vehicles on the road but not for individuals on horses elsewhere?