Most people who visit Snowdonia are respectful and would not dream of dropping litter.  The remaining few, unfortunately, have a big negative impact. When social media fills with pictures of litter spoiling beautiful places, it isn’t long before the cry rings out for more bins.

Bins are expected in towns and cities where there are generally more resources available for regular emptying, recycling and disposal.  That expectation, transferred to the mountains, lakes and valleys of Snowdonia, creates a problem of its own.

A more sustainable future for Snowdonia requires us all to change our expectations and to come prepared to do things differently.  

So, if we are to make progress towards a litter-free Snowdonia, there’s a strong argument for fewer rather than more bins.  Bins allow people to feel they have been responsible; but if their rubbish has just filled the last space in the bin, what happens when the next person comes along?  If everyone takes their own waste home with them, this problem ceases to exist.

Snowdonia has a land area of over 2000km².  That’s a lot of bins, and a lot of people required to keep emptying them, hour after hour, day after day, particularly in hard to reach locations. It simply isn’t feasible or sustainable

If everyone brings a bag for their litter and takes it home to be recycled it will make a massive difference.  Over the summer of 2020, volunteers have spent every weekend picking up litter trying to do their bit to keep Snowdonia special.  Please help them; come prepared and take home your litter. So think carefully before you put your litter in the bin!