“Set your mentality right.”
This is the strong sentiment expressed by some Suva City commuters who say a shift in people’s mind-set is urgently needed to tackle the ongoing problem of littering.
They said careless disposal of rubbish reflected a lack of civic responsibility and urged the public to take greater ownership of their surroundings, noting that keeping the towns and city clean is a shared duty, not just the responsibility of authorities.
Kalevu Tukana, 71, of Suva, said the authorities are doing their part to keep the city clean, but the public is not.
“There are litter bins provided everywhere, but people seem to be ignoring them,” Mr Tukana said.
“People just have to change their mentality.
“Only then will we be able to keep our town and environment clean.”
Tavaita Koroirara, 39, also called on people to take pride in their towns and cities by keeping them clean.
“I just don’t understand why people can’t use the rubbish bins provided by the council,” Ms Koroirara said.
“I was standing in front of MHCC in Suva when a man, after drinking juice, threw the bottle straight into the creek.
“If people don’t change their mind-set, our environment will always be dirty.”
She added that litter enforcement officers should strictly impose fines on those caught littering in public places.
“Only then will we be able to maintain a clean environment.”
