Litter Picking...

On the morning of 30th June we four SIPites picked litter from the local park. The act of litter picking itself is obviously sewa, but this is not the only thing to gain from the experience. One thing I know I learned is that when we walk down the road, we are socially conditioned to not see litter in the form of crisp packets, cans, gum unless its a sofa in the middle of the road we ignore and walk on. Yet when you have a litter pick and bin bag in your hand and are actively searching for litter, you see the vast amount that was previously invisible. This goes back to removing our own preconceptions to truly see. The exercise also taught me to think about sustainability in whatever we do. Its all well and good for the four of us to do one day's of picking, but what about next week when all the litter has amassed again? The solutions we find to our problems must be sustainable to be truly effective.