How you can make a difference on your busy day

Have you ever seen a reasonably reachable piece of litter and thought, "come on! The bin was just a few metres away!"? Well now that you have come to this post, you don't need to fear public reactions or be cynical about someone else picking it up.

Step 1. Analyse the route you often take to and from your destination. Check to see if the route might already be litter picked regularly and whether this makes a difference.

Step 2. If you can do more, stick to getting rid of only 1 piece of litter a day. It might be a modest target but imagine if every other person around you did the same, they would be making an even bigger difference by putting more rubbish in the bin/trash can.

Step 3. Always check the weather. If the weather is wet at the time you are willing to pick up litter, just stick to aiming for getting rid of bottles and cans because they are far easier to pick up in rain or snow (if the snow is soft).

Step 4. Aim to dispose of the trash in a recycling bin/container if possible. Some countries such as Germany and Australia have a Desposit Return Scheme in place so that you get paid for every bottle or can you recycle. Otherwise, just take it home with you and put in your recycling bin.

Step 5. Always wash your hands afterwards becuase the litter may have bacteria on the surface.

Step 6. Don't brag about what you are doing at first for a few to several months unless someone questions you about it. Don't try to react angrily if they say they don't like what you are doing.

Step 7. Take note of any public reactions. It's highly unlikely you will ever be threatened simply because you are picking up a small bit of litter and disposing of it in the bin but if someone does challenge you or take bad exception to what you are doing, take down a description of what the man/woman looks like, walk away and report the person to the bus driver/transport staff in person or call the police by dialling the emergency number as well as describing your location. It's not worth putting your life at risk over just a small can you picked up.

With thanks to: BBC News and Getty Images