Debris is Everyone’s Problem

I live in the pristine high mountains of Colorado part of the year. Trash is nowhere nearly as plentiful as it is around my city digs. Perhaps that makes it all the more noticeable. It jars the scenery by its singular intrusion. Whether near or far, I’m always on trash patrol. I think it’s one of our responsibilities as citizens of this much-stressed planet. If we can make our surroundings easier on the eye of someone with enough ugliness in his life, I’d like to do that.
 

Out in Colorado, we pick up what we see, and even in the frontier, we have an adopt-a-road program. Mostly we get beer and soda cans and fast-food wrappers. It may also be leftover markers and gel packets from a trail race. Whatever shouldn’t be there, we try to pick up. Sometimes I have a pack llama to carry it for me!

 

Back in the city, with trash everywhere, I developed a mandate. If I see a discarded plastic bag (and who doesn’t on a daily basis?) I take it as a sign I should fill it with trash and deposit it in a trash can.  

Everyone’s living situation is different. What would be really cool is for all of us to set up a game plan for trash remediation where we live and work. Some of the ideas I’ve heard:

• Get a group of co-workers or friends to schedule a bi-monthly trash patrol around your area for a couple hours and then end at a favorite coffee house for fun and conversation

• Sign up for an adopt-a-street program and make it a family affair or a memorial project for someone who was a great citizen. Erect a sign in their honor.

• Pick up trash as part of a service organization service project, in honor of Martin Luther King Day or for your university.

• Make that your contribution to Earth Day every year.

 

• As a manager at a business, sponsor a contest with employee teams as to which team can pick up the most trash on their lunch hour around the business with fun, edible prizes. You’ll have the added benefit of increasing the activity level of your employees.

Most of all, really care about where you live and work and help it be the best it can be.