Glasgow-based Pest Solutions has launched a litter purge to tackle the growing amount of rubbish in towns and cities across the UK, which contributes to the rise of rodents and other pests in businesses and homes, creating what is becoming a public health emergency.
Chris Cagienard, managing director at Pest Solutions and president of British Pest Control Association, said that to lead the way in tackling the litter problem and encouraging others to follow suit, members of the Pest Solutions team will allocate one day per month to clearing up litter and cleaning different problematic areas in and around locations where they are based in the UK.
Members of the Glasgow team recently took part in their first litter picking day, collecting and clearing over 60 large bags of litter from the side of busy roads surrounding their Kinning Park headquarters.
However, the litter often returns overnight, and Pest Solutions believes more resources and education to change the mindset of those doing the littering is required if real change is to be made.
According to recent research from Direct Line Home Insurance, there were 271,343 residential visits for rodent infestations in 2023 and approximately £44 million is spent by councils tackling rodent infestations each year.
For example, Edinburgh invested £603,602 in tackling pest problems in 2023. According to the latest hospital admissions data, 48 individuals were admitted to hospital in 2022/23 having been bitten by rats, which highlights the risk to human life.
Ahead of the General Election on July 4, Pest Solutions is calling on the next UK Government to prioritise the UK’s litter problem and the damage it is having on pest control, public health and the economy.
Mr Cagienard said: “The litter on our streets is not only a blight on our society but it attracts rats to our homes, businesses and playgrounds. As pest controllers, litter is one of our main challenges. Litter isn’t just unsightly; it is dangerous because it attracts rodents and other pests and makes getting rid of them even more difficult.
“I believe it is our public shame as a nation that littering is so prominent in our streets across the country and something must be done to combat this. By launching our litter awareness campaign, we want to encourage other businesses, local authorities and the next UK Government, to move this further up their agenda.
“If we don’t do anything to tackle this, people’s health and wellbeing will be put at risk, placing further pressure on our public services and local authorities. I look forward to talking to the incoming UK Government on this matter in the coming months as we look to make real societal change across the country by cleaning up our streets.”
Ian Andrew, BPCA chief executive, said: “BPCA is fully supportive of Pest Solutions campaign and urges everyone to play their part in tackling the UK’s litter crisis.”
Mr Cagienard said that as Pest Solutions grows, new employees to the business will be encouraged to take part in the litter campaign from day one.