A 10-year-old eco-warrior has penned a letter to the Prime Minister about her concerns over littering.
Margaret Wix Primary School pupil Lily-Rose Gruber noticed how much rubbish was bring dumped in St Albans woodland when walking through the Batchwood Estate with her mum, Catherine Higgs.
Picking up enough discarded waste to more than fill a whole bin bag, Lily-Rose determined to flag this to the highest authority in the land.
Drafting the words for more than a week, she wrote: “Dear Theresa May, I’m writing to you on behalf of our wildlife. I’ve noticed a huge amount of plastic waste on the floor of our forest.
“I feel strongly that this is despicable because poor little animals could pick up parts of plastic packaged items (such as a bottle cap) to feed it’s young.”
She stresses we should “treat our landmarks with care and consideration to ensure that we keep these species from extinction”, asking St Albans district council (SADC) to install more bins around green spaces.
Just two weeks later, Lily-Rose received a reply. It said: “It was very good of you to get in touch with your concerns about plastic litter on forest wildlife, and for taking the time and trouble to share your thoughts and suggestions on this important matter.”
The letter has been forwarded to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Catherine said she was really proud: “She is like a little eco-warrior, she has taken it really seriously and she is not letting this go - so good luck SADC!”
Lily-Rose was chuffed with the reply, Catherine said: “She kept saying, ‘They haven’t written back’ and I told her ‘They are busy with Brexit’.
“I think she wants people to be more aware of the impact rubbish has on the environment.”
Portfolio holder for the environment at SADC, Cllr Frances Leonard, said: “Lily-Rose is clearly a very determined and resourceful young person who has a passion for the environment and the outdoor life.
“I would be happy to meet her to discuss her request for more bins as well as the need to campaign against litter and flytips which can be such a blight on the landscape. We always welcome feedback from our residents – whatever their age – and are open to suggestions about where bins are best placed.”
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