One of the things I am most passionate
about is cleaning up the environment, specifically litter clean up.
In this article I will cover how I got started, how my efforts
progressed, and what I do now to help clean up the environment.
As I kid, I don't recall having any
particular interest in the environment or cleaning up. It wasn't
until I got older and moved out to my own place that I started taking
an interest in the subject. I have always been a pretty clean and
organized person so this characteristic may have played a part in how
I got started.
One day I decided to take a walk on the
bike path near my house. As I was walking, my attention was drawn to
a significant amount of garbage scattered alongside the path. I
thought to myself, “This does not look good.” Seeing the litter
along the path gave a bad impression of the environment and
ultimately of those around there who made it like that.
I was pretty disappointed in these
findings considering this was my local path and it is where I lived.
So I decided to do something about it. The next day I went back out
to the same path, but this time I brought a bag along with and picked
up garbage along the way.
I was surprised at how much there was!
I filled an entire bag in less than half a mile. There was still more
to do, but it would have to wait. The next day, I went out again,
this time bringing a couple more bags and did the same thing. I
covered a good amount of the path and made it look good as new.
Little did I know, this was the start of something that would become
a big part of my life.
I continued to take maintain the path
by cleaning it up at least once a week, but this was just the
beginning. Next I started to clean up around the neighborhood where I
live as well. Every so often I would walk around the local area
picking up any garbage that was on the ground.
It got to be a habit where every time I
would go out or come home, I would look around for stuff to pick up.
I started to venture out further and would clean up the nearby
streets whenever I saw something that was out of place.
Even when going out to stores, I would
do the same thing by looking for any garbage in the parking lot to
pick up on the way into the store. Often times I would see paper such
as advertisements or receipts left in the carts in the store. In the
past, like most people I would take a cart next to it that did not
have any garbage, but now I actually look for the one that has
garbage and take that one so I can clean it up. It just takes a few
extra seconds to swing by a trash can and drop off the papers.
Sometimes I will notice a lot of
garbage in the parking lots, too much to clean up for someone who is
just going in to shop. In cases like this, I will leave feedback for
the store to let them know about the condition of the lot. Usually
the managers appreciate customers taking the time to let them know
about things like this so they can improve their store and improve
the customer experience.
You might think that picking up garbage
is dirty and do not want to do it because of this, but there are ways
to clean up that are safe and sanitary. One of the things I invested
in was a grabber which is a reaching tool that has a handle at one
end and a claw at the other. It makes it very easy to pick up garbage
on the ground without touching it.
Also if you do not have a grabber, a
pair of gloves is a good solution to help protect your hands. Even if
you do not have a grabber or gloves, most things you find on the
ground are not as dirty as you might think. Most things are ok to
pick up as long as you are careful and use common sense. Just make
sure to wash your hands afterward.
After getting a good handle on the
clean up situation locally, I started to venture out and got in touch
with the community. I volunteered to do clean ups at the local forest
preserve. I also participate in the clean up days that are organized
by the park district. These can be good opportunities to meet others
with similar interests such as cleaning up the environment.
Sometimes you may see an area that
needs attention but maybe you are not able to clean it up, for
example if it is private land. In situations like this, there are
still things that can be done. If there is an area of land in your
community that needs attention, you can contact your village or city
to let them know about it. They will be able to check on it and take
the appropriate action to see that it is cleaned up.
At times, you might feel like you are
the only one who cares, but in fact there are many people out there
who feel the same way and want to help clean up the environment. Just
by getting out there, not only are you making a positive change, but
you are also setting an example for others to follow. Often people
will see your efforts and become inspired to get involved as well. In
my experience, people are very appreciative when they see you
cleaning up. I have received many “Thank you's” when I have been
out cleaning up.
Some people live in areas that are
heavily littered and they think there is just too much and figure
they will not be able to make a difference. It might be a little
overwhelming at first, but it does not have to be done all at once.
Clean up efforts take persistence to make a difference over time. Do
a little bit each day or whenever you have a chance. If you stay on
top of it and continue to maintain an area, it will become much
cleaner than it was.
Also once it is clean, it can help
deter others from littering as well. When an area has a lot of
garbage around, people will think that is just how it is and may
think it doesn't matter if they throw something else on the ground
because there is already a bunch of other stuff there. On the other
hand, when an area is very clean, people will realize this is not the
place to throw garbage and will instead look for a proper place to
dispose of it.
There are online groups where people
discuss the topic of litter and clean up where you can get
inspiration and share your efforts with others. Even some apps are
starting to pop up to help track data about litter in efforts to help
promote a cleaner environment.
Cleaning up is something just about
anyone can do. Every little bit helps so if you have been thinking
about getting involved, now is the time! If you have already begun to
help clean up the environment, thank you! Your efforts are
appreciated! We only have one Earth. Let's make sure we take care of
it!
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