Editorial: Answer is not blowing in the wind

I recently witnessed a disturbing act.

Outside a shop on the corner of Windsor Ave and Heretaunga St, a mother walked ahead of her two toddlers. They were both in the process of unwrapping iceblocks. When they achieved this they let the wrappers sail off in the wind.

She looked around, saw what had happened and did precisely nothing. Worse than that - there was no recognition in her face that she should be doing anything.

If there is a Joe or Josephine Citizen I have no time for, it is the litterer.

The type who used to park up on the corner of a steep road leading to my home address to take in the lights of Napier, then dump their takeaway rubbish before driving off - time and time again.

Growing up, we were taught to "Be a tidy Kiwi". Looking for the rubbish bin was a habit that became ingrained.

Education of our youth is the most important factor when it comes to the protection of our environment. And it is why plaudits should be offered Pub Charity, and the councils of Hastings, Central Hawke's Bay and Wairoa for stepping up as local sponsors of the Paper4trees initiative which will see several Hawke's Bay schools marking World Environment Day today.

Last year 129 local schools and pre-schools in the province took part in the paper and cardboard recycling scheme which offers them native plants in exchange for their effort.

They diverted over 425 tonnes of paper and cardboard from the landfill and saved over 3392 cubic metres of landfill space. In return they have received 1700 native plants.

Many of those will be planted into the earth today. And that is wonderful reward for the children, offering them an excellent venture to be involved in and behold. It's also in stark contrast to the ugliness of two more iceblock wrappings flapping in the breeze.

Paper4trees was founded in 2001 by the Environmental Education for Resource Sustainability Trust (EERST) - a not-for-profit organisation.