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One woman's radio mission to beat Britain's litter

Ruth Major Ruth Major wearing a bright pink raincoat and grey rucksack. She is holding up an orange Sainsbury's plastic bag full of collected litter in one hand, and a campaign card in the other.Ruth Major
Ruth Major hopes to appear on all 39 BBC radio stations in the country, completing the journey using only public transport

An 81-year-old woman is touring every BBC radio station in the country to spread the message that "we are all capable of doing our bit" to tackle littering.

Retired nurse Ruth Major will be travelling from Taunton to Bristol later, encouraging people she meets along the way to pick up one piece of litter a day.

Affectionately known as Rubbish Ruth, Major estimates she has collected more than 100,000 bits of rubbish since starting her campaign 10 years ago.

"We have a beautiful country and it's blighted by rubbish. I want a little bit more respect from all of us - we are better than this," she said.

Ruth Major A composite image showing three pictures of Ruth Major collecting rubbish in various parts of the country and abroad.Ruth Major
Major began her campaign after becoming "fed up" of seeing litter everywhere

Major hopes to appear on all 39 BBC radio stations in England and will be navigating the arduous journey using only public transport with her free bus pass.

She aims to complete the challenge within several weeks, but plans to "make the most of it".

"I'm not getting any younger unfortunately. So I decided I'd try to get the message out there as much as I can," she said.

"I just got fed up of seeing litter everywhere, looking really tatty and horrible.

"Instead of moaning and saying 'look at the state of the place, somebody should do something about that', I thought well, why not me?"

Ruth Major Ruth Major wearing a long black raincoat and glasses. She is standing on a public street beside wooden benches, holding up a piece of litter. In front of her there is a portable bin with litter picking tools.Ruth Major
Major believes if people picked up just one piece of litter a day, it could "transform the whole world"

Major has so far appeared on 13 local radio stations in England and regularly shares updates on social media of Rubbish Ruth's Rambles, across the country and aboard.

"Everywhere I go, I talk a load of rubbish to people in the street, on trams and trains, at airports, in pubs and restaurants, on cruise ships and in foreign lands," she said.

"I'm appealing to everybody's better nature. If one person picks up one piece of rubbish, it's not going to make much of a difference.

"But if millions of people get on board, we can make a real change. Keep spreading the word that we are all capable of doing our bit."

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