Goin’ on a Litter hunt.
Goin’ to catch a big one.
I’m not afraid.
Look, what’s up ahead?
Styrofoam!
Can’t go over it.
Can’t go under it.
Can’t go around it.
Gotta pick it up!
We can’t save the ocean from trash by ourselves but we can take care of what is in front of us. Whether it’s a styrofoam cup, a wrapper or an old straw. If it is laying on the ground, you can pick it up and throw it away. I want to encourage you to pick up some trash. I know it may seem gross, but, once you get over that feeling, you will be doing a lot of good for the environment and community.
Benefits
- Cleanliness, property value. Trash is ugly and it decreases the beauty of everything around it. Do you think Disney World would leave trash around and ruin the beauty of the park. I think not.
- Clean Water. Litter often makes its way to storm drains, where it can cause serious clogs that lead to flooding. If it does not get clogged, it will flow into nearby rivers and streams. Think about that on your next canoe or kayak adventure.
- Protect young kids and wildlife. If you don’t pick it up, it can easily be picked up by young kids or animals and you never know what they will do with it from there. A lot of things about being a young kid I forget, but I do remember a time when I picked up an old, dirty diaper in a parking lot because I did not know what it was and I was curious. Above all, that memory is forever stuck in my brain. Gross.
- Leading by example. You will feel better about yourself knowing you did something to help out others. More importantly, your act may inspire someone else to pick up some trash and so on and so on, etc.
Get Started!
I like to time a litter walk around trash day in my neighborhood. With trash cans at the end of drives, you can easily pick up litter and put it in one of the receptacles waiting for collection, rather than carrying it around with you for your entire walk. I took a walk this morning and I found a bunch of trash laying around which was easy enough to pick up (see inset picture) and get into the trash.
Next time you are out, pick up some trash and dispose of it properly. Your neighborhood, their kids, the wild animals and our water supply will thank you. You may even start a viral movement that inspires others to clean up our planet. What could be better than that?