There are 34 billion pieces of litter in the world.
Can't imagine that? Then imagine the biggest place you've seen, your house, the mall, a stadium. Now, imagine that place fully packed with litter as an overflowing drawer stuffed with clothes might be. Can you imagine it? After that, picture all that litter dumped right outside your door. Seems impossible but this is someone's reality, and that imagery does not even scratch the surface of how much litter there is nor how devastating the problem is.
Why does this even matter?
Please understand––littering is more than the act of dropping trash, which is still disrespectful to our environment. It is the act of endangering the lives of every life form including plants, animals, and us humans.
We can see your litter, and its prescence affects our lives.
When you throw your litter in a seemingly inconspicuous––though very obvious––place, such as in the grass, bushes, or on the roadside, that litter gets blown into storm drains, ending in our waterways, polluting the same water sources you drink from.
Litter Chain
You decide to drop your plastic water bottle and snack-wrapper trash on the ground.
The plastic gets blown or washed into storm drains, entering our oceans.
Plastics breakdown into microplastics that contain toxic chemicals and act as carriers for diseases.
Microplastics contaminate our water supply and kill our aquatic animals.
You throw your cigarette or vape into the grass.
Nicotine and other toxic chemicals, including but not limited to arsenic and lead, leach into the soil.
Soil erosion occurs, depleting the soil of its nutrients.
Plants' growth is negatively affected––the same plants we also need for oxygen.
You finish your banana and drop the peel on the ground.
Though biodegradable, the peel takes up to a year to decompose.
Wildlife is attracted by the scent of food.
Rats and raccoons find their new dinner habitat: your neighborhood.
So if it helps no one yet harms everyone, why do you litter?
How can I help?
See this litter-prevention exercise.
- Want a simple step in the right direction? Stop littering. Do you have trash you need to throw out? Don't drop it! Instead, hold on to it in your hand, pocket, or purse until you reach the nearest disposal bin.
- Able to commit to a healthier lifestyle? Seek to reduce the use of plastics and cigarettes, two of the most destructive, commonly littered items in the world.
- Interested in being an active change-maker? Join a volunteer group that cleans the community through litter removal.
- Looking to become a dedicated expert? Research the problem at hand to grasp the concept more nuanced and to see what initiatives are in place.
- Feeling like a leader? Work with or start a campaign to partner with similar minded organizations to improve the situation. Be diligent in your research, persistent in your efforts, and creative in your implementation.