The next time you head out to enjoy nature, take a careful look around. You may be surprised at how many cans, plastic bottles and cigarette butts you notice. Litter surveys show that annually over 350 pounds of trash and 3,000 cigarette butts are picked up per mile of interstate highway. That is disgusting! These figures do not include all the garbage dumped on state highway and rural roads.
Now think about all the trash and toxins that make their way into our streams, rivers, lakes and oceans.
So what, some may ask; why worry about litter? Because it harms us all! Litter is ugly!The natural beauty of our world is diminished by thoughtlessly tossed out trash, it pollutes our land and injures wildlife. Trash pollution degrades our lives. The amount of litter in this country is a shameful reflection of our society.
"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together." ~ Chief Seattle 1855
Cigarettes are the most littered item in America, carelessly tossed, one cigarette at a time to defile our beaches, parks, nature trails and other public areas. The materials used in cigarette filters do not degrade and go away. However, the greatest danger from flicked cigarettes is that they start fires. Every year millions of acres of our forest and grasslands are destroyed by fires started by a mindless disposal of cigarettes.
Littering is dangerous. Trash and debris that blows or falls off a vehicle can cause auto accidents, often resulting in serious injury or death. The majority of these types of accidents could be prevented by tying down or covering loads.
Please do not be a part of the problem. In the United States each one of us produces almost five pounds of trash each day. That is over a ton per year. Be responsible for the trash you produce and dispose of it properly.
