A friend mentioned that she’d been to Grand Canyon and was horrified at the amount of litter that was lying around. Tourists and even local residents think it’s no big deal to fling their soda bottles and fast food bags over the rim to see how far down they’ll go. She reminisced about the “Don’t be a Litterbug ” campaign we watched every single day on TV as kids.
There was a huge stigma to being a “litterbug” and picking up trash was ingrained in our minds because of it. I’ve been noticing more and more garbage on the roads and replied that we seriously need to bring that campaign back.
As Girl Scouts, we were always taught to patrol our campsite and leave it cleaner than when we arrived. Is that such a hard concept to grasp? What amazes me is when you go to an event like a fireworks display, parade, or sporting event the area it was in turns into a garbage dump.
Doesn’t anyone know how to use a trashcan?
What’s even more alarming is to see a mother deliberately toss something on the ground right in front of her own kids or leave a dirty plastic diaper sitting under a tree at the park. YUCK!
For a while, I lived up in the hills of Woolsey Canyon, which is a nature area. There’s a lookout point on the road where people park at night to neck and gaze at the valley below. Every single morning, beer bottles and trash are left lying on the ground. It’s amazing how little those clowns care about taking care of the environment.
Just one cigarette tossed onto the ground could start a fire. (There was a major fire up there in 2018)
For a while, a high school class showed once a month at the lookout to clean it up but I think they gave up.
Yeh! California
California made some headway in its effort to reduce the amount of trash when it banned plastic bags for a while. The COVID pandemic put a stop to using reusable bags for a while and the plastic bag ban was lifted. However, now markets charge for bags and encourage reusable bags.
Many Californians store reusable shopping bags in their cars and it has reduced plastic bags in our landfills. Fruit and vegetable bags are not as bad as they’re made from recycled materials that eventually dissolve.
The sanitation department gives most residents in Los Angeles a set of 2-3 trash cans to be used for specific purposes. Black is for regular garbage, blue is for paper and recyclables, and green is for plant waste.
Dog poop
Another disgusting human habit as bad as littering is when people don’t pick up after their dogs. Dog excrement left on a sidewalk is not only gross but can cause disease, especially for toddlers who may get it in their mouths. If you have a dog, carry environmentally friendly dog poop bags with you. It’s that simple.
Let’s bring back the “Don’t be a Litterbug” campaign by encouraging others to follow these tips:
- If you go on a picnic or are eating somewhere outdoors, use reusable plates, utensils, and food storage containers rather than plastic. Pack them in a picnic basket or large reusable bag.
- It’s important to carry a bottle of water with you so you don’t get dehydrated. However, there’s no reason to carry a plastic water bottle. Take a vacuum-insulated reusable bottle with you instead. I recommend one with a wide mouth so it can easily be cleaned. You can leave an insulated bottle in your car because it won’t heat up and change the chemical makeup of your drink, which happens with plastic bottles.
- Attach your doggie bags to your pet’s leash in a leash pouch or small cross-body bag that will fit poop bags and a water bottle. Dispose of your pet’s waste properly.
- Purchase a “Don’t Be a Litterbug” sign and put it on your lawn to remind your neighbors to pick up after themselves.
- If you see someone drop trash on the ground, let them know they dropped something.
- Carry a trash bag in your car. If you’re in an area where a litterbug has struck, pick up at least some of the trash and dispose of it. It’s good exercise.
Please don’t be a litterbug and keep America (or anywhere else you live) beautiful!
How do you feel about the littering problem we have? Please leave a comment below.
Teach your children well!
Here in northern California I see very few litterers. I did see someone in upstate Ny the other day … a seniory woman just throw something out her window. Almost defiantly.
It’s nice to know that Northern Cal is keeping it’s landscape clean. Not as much in SoCal. It’s awful when you see someone who should know better blatantly throw trash out the window. How disgusting!
I love this post! I have a park 5 min. from me, there are hundreds of Pokemon there, and they litter! Cigarette butts, fast food papers, and more. I saw a sign the other day that said, “cigarette butts are litter too”. I get so mad when I see this. We need to spread the word get more signs. Thank you!
Oh, that sounds awful! You’re right about the cigarettes. People think they can fling them anywhere. Not only is it a gross habit but it’s messy. If an animal tried to eat it they would get sick.
They had a new campaign in Australia a while ago – I’m not sure if it made any difference – people who litter probably don’t give a hoot. And don’t even get me started on the dog poop thing – I want to rub the owners’ faces in it – it’s disgusting and unhygienic and completely thoughtless!
Ha Ha! I know what you mean about the dog poop. Gross! All a person needs is a bag to pick it up and then throw it into a proper container. It takes seconds.
This makes me so sad. I think we’ve lost so much civility in the world, and I hope we can find our way back. I am appalled at people’s lack of consideration.
It’s pretty alarming to think that people just don’t care but many don’t. I’m not sure why that is. The thought of the Grand Canyon strewn with litter is appalling.
Sadly, I think the littering is a sign of so much more that worries me about our country. People are so apathetic and detached – mostly looking down looking at their cell phones while life just passes them by. I think bringing back The Don’t Be a Litterbug campaign might have a dual purpose! We need to all take pride and ownership of the world we live in.
Ellen this is what I call civil disobedience !
I live in Tokyo, to try to find a garbage can around here is next to impossible, you most certainly have to go back to a convenient store. I have found myself leaving a cup or bag in a public restroom which is u fair. But I have to Tokyo is very clean. You will find some civil disobedience but not much