THOUGHTFUL PUBLIC CAN RELIEVE LITTER PROBLEM

Taupo Times, Volume 20, Issue 3, 14 January 1971, Page 1

THOUGHTFUL PUBLIC CAN RELIEVE LITTER PROBLEM

f By The Editor Local bodies and service organisations go to a lot of trouble and expense to provide and site rubbish ▼ containers in towns and cities, at picnic spots, on the beaches, lakefronts, roadside rest areas.

Taupo is richly endowed with containers; but the litter problem is still considerable. The causes are largely an V- unthinking public and the rew sult is litter all over the place, helped in part by the wind, which blows paper, containers and anything light into all sorts of unlikely and unsightTy places. And no matter how hard street cleaners and parks staff work, they cannot hope to match the general public's lack of consideration. I saw one considerate act while parked on the lakefront last weekend. A motorist travelling east pulled up opposite a parking *area, left his motor running as he got out of his car with a bundle of papers in hand, went to the boot and removed more loose papers and walked across the road to de- ^ posit the bundle in one of the rubbish containers. ^ He walked back to his car and drove away. Surely this lead could be followed by the masses! But the litter problem isn't confined to dry land. Our pic- ^ -ture shows just one pocket of floating litter in the boat harbour. „ The problem is obvious right through the lovely spot;

but like so many other delightful areas of our country the scene is being spoilt by the unthinking public. Lake Taupo is not affected by pollution — yet. But litter is a type of pollution and a start, instanced by the picture, has been made. While there cannot ever be enough rubbish containers to completely relieve the continuing problem the entire issue rests with the public. The anti-litter council suggests the carrying of a plastic or strong paper bag in cars for the depositing of rubbish; why not in boats, too!