THE effectiveness of the city's litter wardens should be called into question as figures showing the number of fines handed out in the past year are released today.
On paper the fact that the 32 of them have handed out an average of just over one fine a week suggests that they are greatly under-utilised or that our city is incredibly litter free. Sadly the evidence suggests that the latter is far from the case d
espite claims of a vast improvement signalled in a Keep Britain Tidy survey this year.
Certainly keeping the streets of Edinburgh clean is not an easy task; it is a festival city and for many it is a party city. The evidence of the night's revelries are there all too often to be seen the morning after, with fast-food wrappers littering areas like the Cowgate, Grassmarket and Lothian Road. It is not a pretty sight and the Evening News has repeatedly called for more emphasis to be put on early street cleaning.
As if to highlight continuing concern, Audit Scotland this year scored the council worst of any of Scotland's 32 local authorities in street cleanliness, despite having a network of environmental taskforces throughout the city and spending £10 million a year on tackling litter, graffiti and fly-posting.
Although the report was an unfortunate snapshot, the council acknowledges it can do more, and has earmarked a further £1.4m over two years to improve street cleaning services, but it remains to be seen if this will be enough to make any discernible difference.
Happily for the moment the idea of putting late night litter wardens on patrol to hand out spot fines has been shelved, a move more likely to spark friction than provide a solution.
But it is worrying that across three areas - waste disposal, dog fouling and general littering - the number of fines issued have all fallen. Some might argue that more effective enforcement with regard to trade waste disposal and educating dog owners in clearing up the mess their pets leave behind has seen a shift in public attitudes. But it is hard to accept that the broader messages are hitting home when the city streets for the large part remain littered with cigarette ends and thoughtlessly discarded chewing gum and dog mess.
Improvements in cleansing are needed, but a change in public attitudes is the real solution. Until there is a acceptance by individuals that proper litter disposal is their responsibility and not the job of others the problem will not go away.
Such lessons must be taught at an early age. Children who throw away sweet papers and go unchecked will never have respect for the environment or others.
When all is said and done, littering is antisocial behaviour at the low end of the scale. At the top end are theft, vandalism and violence and from an acceptance that such behaviour is the norm grows behaviour which can easily end in tragedy. Respect for others begins with respect for oneself, and that begins at home.
