The Wildlife Trust
Litter and Wildlife
Jill Edmunds, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust writes....
As
we go about the countryside and by the seashore we see huge amounts of rubbish
by the side of the roads, especially in places popular with picnickers.
Not only does this look horrible but it can do untold damage to wildlife and
also to domestic pets, causing injuries and in many cases death.
Small animals, such as mice and voles can get into bottles and empty beer cans,
but are unable to get out again because of their slippery sides, and therefore
die as a result. Hedgehogs can get stuck in yoghurt pots, birds get
tied up in the plastic rings which hold cans together and animals get caught in
wires and even old tapes which become unravelled. Animals can also suffocate in
plastic bags and these can also cause problems to grazing sheep and cattle.
Wild animals often search for food on landfill sites, so there is a problem even with legitimately placed rubbish. The RSPCA has reported badgers, foxes, hedgehogs, shrews, voles, moles, weasels, field mice and birds all found dead at tips. We can help prevent this by taking a few simple precautions like tying the tops of plastic bags before disposal, making sure any netting or broken glass is in a sealed container, cutting plastic rings from drinks cans and removing the tops of cans to stop small animals entering. Of course, better still, try to recycle as much as possible.
Litter on our beaches also causes a major problem for wildlife. The
Marine Conservation Society which carries out an annual beachwatch survey, has
recorded two pieces of litter for every footstep taken. The worrying
thing is that the amount of rubbish deposited on beaches is increasing every
year. The amount of plastic has risen by 146% since 1994.
Some people may think that items will degrade, but the rate of degradation is
usually very slow. Here are some examples:
Paper towel
2 - 4 weeks
Cardboard box
2 months
Plastic bags
10 - 20 years
Disposable nappies 50 - 100 years
Plastic bottle
100 years
Aluminium can 400
years
In fact plastic probably never totally degrades - it just gets broken down into smaller and smaller pieces. There are huge ramifications for marine animals such as seals, and also birds that get entangled with cast off netting and ropes and consequently die a slow and painful death.
Balloons, which are such fun to let free, frequently end up in the sea. There are two sorts - the silver foil variety, which may never degrade and the latex ones which are biodegradable, but even these disappear very slowly and the plastic ties do not. There is now a campaign to raise awareness of the harm that outdoor balloon releases can cause.
There are many ways in which animals and wildlife can be harmed by litter, but with your help, we can play a part in reducing these unnecessary dangers.
For more information about the Wildlife Trust, please see www.hwt.org.uk