Well, to be honest, I think a lot of it comes down to pure laziness. People head out to scenic spots with bags of snacks or drinks, but once they're finished, carrying empty containers back feels like an unwanted chore. Another thing is that public bins are often either missing or overflowing, so people just turn a blind eye and walk away. They probably tell themselves someone else will take care of it, which is really disappointing because it ruins the spot for everyone else.

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I'd say yes, but only to some extent. When shops started charging a small fee for disposable carrier bags, almost everyone I know switched to canvas totes. A tiny extra charge actually makes people pause and reconsider. Still, if an item has no affordable alternative, like certain packaged foods, shoppers will probably just swallow the cost. So while a small fee can make a real difference, companies also need to offer practical plastic-free alternatives on the shelves.

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Well, I think the simplest thing is to take our own trash home whenever we visit the water. It sounds obvious, but you still see bottles and food wrappers lying around. Beyond that, people can pitch in with local clean-up mornings once in a while. Even spending half an hour collecting loose rubbish along a riverbank makes a visible difference. Also, buying fewer single-use items in daily life helps stop waste from washing into storm drains in the first place.

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That's a tricky question, but in my view, the big manufacturers that produce single-use packaging should foot the bill. They make huge profits from disposable goods, so they shouldn't just pass the problem on to ordinary citizens. At the same time, national governments also need to pay their share, because protecting waterways is a public responsibility. Asking volunteers alone to handle it simply won't work; we need serious funding from the corporations that caused the mess.

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