Chris Packham Photographs Litter in Nature

English TV presenter and wildlife photographer Chris Packham has unveiled a series of images exploring the impact of litter on wildlife and the natural environment. The pictures were commissioned by the supermarket chain Lidl UK, which will be donating £500,000 from the proceeds of its single-use carrier bag charge to a new initiative with Keep Britain Tidy designed to inspire young people to reduce litter and waste and improve their local parks and green spaces.

Packham said at the launch of the initiative: ‘People who litter are unwittingly helping to kill and injure the wildlife we all love. As a naturalist, I’m only too aware of mankind’s impact on the natural world and litter is one very visible example of this. Not only is it unsightly but it seriously affects wild animals both on land and in our oceans.’

There is also an eBay auction where you can buy images from this collection, with proceeds going to charity.

These photos do well to make us think about our impact on the environment. As photographers, we should strive to convey a message and story through our images.

Packham said, ‘I was delighted to be asked to explore this issue through the camera lens, juxtaposing the inherent beauty of our natural world with the ugliness of the litter and rubbish carelessly discarded each and every day. Through these images I hope to inspire people to dispose of their litter more responsibly and play their part in caring for the fabulously diverse wildlife that enriches us all.’

Keep Britain Tidy chief executive, Allison Ogden-Newton, said: ‘We know that the majority of children and young people do care about their environment and don’t drop litter. The support of Lidl, through the donation of the proceeds from the single-use bag charge, will help us engage with those young people and create a generation of young people who not only care about their environment but are also equipped to do something to help.’

Keep Britain Tidy want the photographs to provide the inspiration for young people to go out and capture their own images of how litter impacts the world around them, as part of a nationwide photography competition to be launched shortly.

Image Credit: Chris Packham / Lidl UK / Keep Britain Tidy