The recent flooding in the whole of Fiji has caused lots of concerns to the government, town councils, farmers, the travelling public, and the children. This is in addition to house owners, and shopkeepers, who have been affected due to flooding, and those who have been evacuated to higher grounds. Many farmers have lost their crops, and animals, causing damage to farmlands. Many of these damages may cost millions of dollars. All in all, the loss is sustained by one and all. The other severe impact is loss of soil through soil erosion which may be difficult to reverse the loss of fertility when essential substances in the soil have been displaced. Everyone has to put a lot of effort into returning to normal life. It may take many months and years to regroup.
However, there has been some support provided to many farmers by the government, and those affected by way of food rations and from families and volunteer groups to fix the problems of those who may be affected badly, especially handicapped and other desperate families.
Other than the affected land and water, littering also pollutes the air. The toxic emissions from burning litter could contribute greatly to ozone depletion and global warming.
Littering water pollution is the trash that people randomly throw away in the environment is full of chemicals and micro particles that are not natural.
These chemicals penetrate the soil and water, which could cause the destruction of nature and later on affect animals, plants, and humans. It is amazing to learn that many educated people disregard the common knowledge of making wise decisions in managing litter in public places.
The majority of people believe that others will clean up after them and consequently, the responsibility of cleaning up litter usually falls on local governments and taxpayers. Thus, the lack of responsibility to look after public places is another problem.
Population dynamics
IN Fiji, there are 541,393 persons living in the urban areas, while 388,371 persons live in the rural areas. About 59 per cent of the population live in urban areas. The total population of Fiji is estimated to be 943,072 as of July 2024. The growth rate of the urban population is increasing due to many reasons including better lives and employment. The problem due to increased population in major towns and cities and may have a lot of litter to dispose of.
So littering may be one of the priority areas of concern for the municipalities in Fiji. Urban pollution will have problems of cigarette butts, a total of ten years to decompose is contrary to the common perception that cigarette butts decompose very quickly in only a matter of days (CEN, 2024). In reality, cigarette butts are a serious threat to the environment, as they contain toxic substances like arsenic which can contaminate soil and water.
The recent floods in Fiji have affected many towns, few observations have revealed the types of solid wastes evident in the flood waters including white goods, tires, and household wastes with litter all floating and eventually found on the coastlines or banks of rivers.
If no one bothers to remove these, to dispose safely, then they may pose a lot of threat to the environment. Every year the government together with many stakeholders celebrate Earth Day on April 22, and World Environment Day on June 5.
While these are very important for everyone, however, there is a lack of concerns among our literate population as we have about 98 per cent. Recently, as of March 18, there was Global Recycling Day (GRD) celebrated at Queen Victoria School in Tailevu, by the Prime Minster, Sitiveni Rabuka, together with the founder of Pacific Recycling Foundation (PRF) Amitesh Deo.
The concept of ‘reduce’, recycle, and ‘reuse’ is well established as a reminder. And to dispose of the litter in the type of bin provided.
We also know of the Prime Minister who had been instrumental in promulgating Litter Laws since 1992 and had been concerned with issues of littering in Fiji. The Earth Summit was also founded in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro from June 3-14. He has indicated making more stringent laws as a deterrent to safeguard planet Earth from pollution. Currently, the fine is a meagre $40. Many are littering regularly without the knowledge of the law enforcers. While the law is good in some sense as it binds the State. This means that any government ministry/department will be liable to pay a fine if found committing the offense. There is no court case if the fine is paid within 14 days.
Human health and safety
Litter has negative impacts on human safety, too. Not only does littered trash make urban and natural places less attractive, but litter also has negative impacts on humans, wildlife, and the environment. Flooding causes a lot of health issues like diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid, leptospirosis, and the increased presence of mosquitoes which cause dengue fever and skin infections. In oceans, discarded plastic litter can reduce tourism, hinder commercial and recreational fishing, and threaten human health. Scuba divers could become entangled in nets, or beach visitors may step on sharp debris. Medical waste, like hypodermic needles, is a high concern because it can spread infections and disease. Littering along roads is also dangerous for wildlife. If food scraps are discarded outside of a car window, birds or other animals may scavenge too close to the road and get hit by a vehicle. Plastic litter is another threat to the environment and its inhabitants. It has often been mistaken for food by both land and marine wildlife. A single plastic bottle can take up to 450 years to degrade.
When consumed by animals, they reduce their stomach capacity since they cannot be digested. In the long-term it affects the animals’ eating habits, eventually killing the animals. Much of marine wildlife including birds, whales, dolphins, and turtles have been found dead with plastic and cigarettes found in their stomachs. Another negative aspect of littering is that it is too expensive for a country, society, and individuals. Cleaning up litter requires a huge amount of money that is financed by taxpayers and could be used in more productive ways.
Littered places are visually displeasing and they depreciate the aesthetic and real value of the surrounding environments. Places with large amounts of litter are often characterised by homes and property that are less valuable as a result.
Some of the materials may also be poisonous or contain sharp objects therefore damaging the animal’s vital organs or severely injuring them.
Similarly, it affects tourism as it makes city areas and roadsides look disgusting and tourists tend to avoid staying and even visiting areas that are littered. Furthermore, littering can lead to car accidents. Some trash in the road is enough to create a dangerous situation that could result in serious injuries or death.
Solutions
The ideal way to handle the problem of littering is for each member of society to take responsibility and try their best to properly dispose of waste. If citizens are required not to litter, appropriate conditions must be provided by local governments. Measures must be taken by appropriate local authorities to ensure more garbage bins are installed in various areas for effective garbage disposal. Installing enough garbage bins in town centres, walking routes, public areas, and near bus stops as well as fast-food restaurants offer convenience in disposing and collecting litter. To avoid additional problems due to overfilling, the bins must be emptied regularly.
Unfortunately, the existence of garbage bins does not guarantee that waste will not be dropped on the streets. Enforcing strict litter laws will encourage people not to litter in private and public places. Such laws work towards prohibiting illegal dumping and littering.
Undoubtedly, penalties have a real effect on littering behaviour, but education and raising awareness are crucial in guaranteeing long-term results. Community clean-up events can be an effective way to spread anti-litter messages in society. The issue can also be incorporated into bulletin boards, TV programs, social media platforms, and newsletters more intensively to spread the message widely. Furthermore, an anti-littering sign might be placed in highly littered areas such as the streets near public transport stations. These signs serve to constantly remind people that littering is a bad thing that should be avoided. With access to the Internet and social media platforms, we witness the havoc pollution has wreaked on ecosystems all over the world. Solving the littering issue can seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, there are ways to amend the global problem of chronic waste, even though it may initially seem overwhelming.
Children learn the definition of a “litterbug” starting in elementary school and receive regular reminders not to throw trash on the sidewalk. For decades, the conversation around litter points the finger at the consumer—the person throwing trash out their car window or tossing food wrappers in the park. When finding a solution to littering, we need to examine its history. Discussions for the past few decades have placed the responsibility of preventing litter on the individual. In actuality, much of the blame goes to the industries that create waste in the first place.
Litter isn’t the problem. It is simply a by-product of a convenience-oriented economy. If you look at the history of litter, there remains one constant. Production of trash, including plastic packaging and aluminium cans, has continued to grow. Despite efforts to reduce waste and promote recycling, many fast food and beverage corporations continue to produce plastic pollution at an unsustainable level. Litter would not exist if it were not for the businesses that created disposable packaging and capitalised off their invention. Individuals are managing their waste better while also holding the companies that create trash accountable. Now it is time for them to take responsibility for the waste they generate before it reaches the consumer. Public waste containers or street bins are provided by local authorities to be used as a convenient place for the disposal and collection of litter. Increasingly both general waste and recycling options are provided. Local councils collect the waste and take it for reuse or recycling. However, there are some problems with this approach; if the bins are not emptied regularly, then the bins will overflow and cause eyesore and subject to abuse. Keep a litter bag in your car, bring it with you whenever you are out, and throw your trash in your bag until you find a garbage receptacle.
This action will not only keep your car clean and organised, but also keep the streets clean.
KESHWA NAND KRISHNA is a retired public health lecturer at the Fiji National University. The views expressed in this article are his and not necessarily of this newspaper.
