Litter causes considerable harm to our wildlife. When disposed of incorrectly, waste can be particularly enticing to a range of different animal species. Objects such as food containers may encourage animals to investigate, due to the inviting scent of food remnants. These containers are often narrow and constrictive- such as plastic bottles or jars, or extremely sharp- such as metal cans. This may ultimately result in a hedgehog becoming trapped, unable to breathe, starving or seriously injured. Other forms of non-consumable related litter which cause problems in the natural environment include fishing gear (lines and hooks) and elastic bands which can result in devastating injury, particularly through entanglement- causing amputation and/or deathly infection. Chinese sky lanterns are another major waste product of concern since whilst they can also cause entrapment and injury, their open flame has the potential to set habitats alight and result in significant countryside fires.
What Can We Do to Help?
There are many small actions and simple solutions we can all take to reduce the danger and impact of litter on wildlife and hedgehogs in question.
Reduce personal waste through recycling and opting for reusable options- for example, biodegradable toothbrushes, bags for life and reusable drinks containers. This dramatically decreases unnecessary levels of plastic consumption and any risk of such waste making it's way into the natural environment.
If you do use plastic bags, tie a knot in the top of them before disposal- this prevents entanglement and suffocation incidents, should an unsuspecting hedgehog get stuck within the bag or its' handles.
Avoid the use of Chinese sky lanterns and helium-filled balloons (made of latex).
Cut elastic bands and all rings of drinks can holders before disposal.
Wash all food containers and place lids back on (if applicable) before recycling or placing in general waste.
Crush cans and pull the tab back over the opening before disposal.
Never litter! Keep a hold of your personal waste for cleaning and/or recycling when you get home- especially if you are outdoors where there are no bins available.
Raise awareness to family, friends and local contacts regarding the dangers of littering to wildlife.
Participate in community litter-picking events, as our group did last month! Keep reading for more information...
The Big Hog-Friendly Lockdown Litter Pick Challenge
On Friday 18th and Saturday 19th December, we hosted two days of litter picking for both students of the Stirling University campus and into the wider community. People were encouraged to see what difference they could make in their local area with regional litter-picking, especially due to travel restrictions of Scotland's tier system. However, the efforts of participants just went on to show how you can help hedgehogs and other wildlife wherever you are! These two days saw the involvement of academic students, primary school children and general public members alike- whether participating in the Stirling area or further afield.
There was the chance to obtain certificates of participation, and those involved were asked to send photos of themselves with their full bin bags of trash; which put us in the running competition alongside other hedgehog friendly campuses. Overall these days were a resounding success, and there may be the opportunity to host future litter pick events at Stirling. Well done everyone!
