Lifting up our local litter-picking legends
Some of us started it as a way to get out of the house during lockdown and others have been doing it for years! The truth of the matter is Co Armagh is full of litter warriors - fighting the good fight in a bid to keep our streets and grass verges free of rubbish.
If you've ever walked down a street and noticed a distinct lack of litter, you might have the phantom litter pickers to thank. It’s easy to think of these mysterious do-gooders prowling the streets in the dead of night, armed with nothing more than a bin bag and a burning desire to clean up our communities, however, many of these waste-warriors are often out in plain sight; dutifully decluttering without praise or pay.
They're like the ‘Batman' of the rubbish world, fighting litter as opposed to crime (that being said - it is a crime to litter!) And whilst, they might not be as glamorous as the Caped Crusader, they're no less heroic.
They're the ultimate garbage-grabbing gurus, the litter-picking legends of our time. And they do it all with a smile on their face (or a mask, if they're feeling particularly mysterious).
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It’s all too easy to say that litter-picking is a job for council and that’s what we pay our rates for. It’s easy to point fingers, but it’s a sizeable job and one that requires constant attention. So, does it require a group effort? Perhaps it carries an amount of individual responsibility?
So, the next time you see a street that's cleaner than it has any right to be, take a moment to appreciate the work of these philanthropic few.
And who knows - maybe one day - we'll all be inspired to take a leaf out of their book just as the Wilson family were back in August 2022
Until that day comes, though, let's raise a glass (or a bin bag) to these litter-picking legends.
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Well done 👏 for your selfless act and your outstanding community spirit
I noticed the lack of litter a few days ago, and it does make such a difference. I’ve been meaning to do the same for a few years and the only thing holding me back is, why should anyone clean up after the numptys that just discard their rubbish rather than take it a couple of hundred yards to a bin. This article has prompted me to get my wee litter picker up out.