How Does Littering Affect the Earth

Many people may not think that how does littering affect the Earth.

In reality, littering has an extremely negative impact on the earth. Littering tends to damage areas where we live, work and where children play. There are different factors that lead to littering. Some factors relate to what people do, while others come from areas of manufacturing.

Litter consists of trash and household toxic substances that are improperly disposed of on land or in water. Whether the litter is intentional or unintentional, large or small, it can drastically affect the earth for years to come. Before carelessly tossing another item out the window or looking the other way when someone else does, consider the impact you can make on the earth by recycling, reusing and disposing of waste properly.

Litter can come in many different ways and mainly because people can sometimes be rather careless and negligent. Who does it?  Well, a lot of times we see someone driving ahead of us, toss an empty to-go cup out of their window.  Or it could also be someone crumbling up a receipt and missing the garbage can outside.  It could even be a young child that may not know any better, carelessly dropping candy wrappers on the playground.  Some do it by mistake without realizing it, and unfortunately, some simply are too careless and purposely throw trash out of their car window, or just toss an empty can across an open field.

Whenever you go to an event and there are going to be thousands and thousands of people there, it is going to be hard to control the amount of trash left around. As some people will throw their trash away in the proper bins, sadly, some will leave their trash careless on the ground. It is our responsibility as people to clean up after ourselves and try to protect our earth environment, but that thought doesn’t often cross the mind of others.

In many places, littering is illegal and can carry a fine of $500 and/or jail time.

While some people intentionally litter, this is something that can be controlled. More laws can be put in place to control the amount of litter that floods the streets by careless people that are causing harm the earth environment more than it already is.

Not only is littering affecting us on the streets and our backyards, but it also affects the oceans, rivers and wildlife.

Many animals die in their attempts to eat or get caught up in plastic bags left to blow away in the wind. Some people also have been known to throw their beer cans and the plastic rings in the water that can cut the fish and make them choke on the plastic. Many fish die from these factors and it’s time we brought awareness to this problem at hand.

 

Littering causes a threat to our health and can cause harmful germs and bacteria.

Littering can cause fires and also sends a message that people really don’t care about the Earth.

Whereas some people may not be bothered to live in a world surrounded by trash, others may be trying to prevent that.

Removing litter costs money, something that is hard for people to let go of. If we can spend a whopping $10 on a fancy cup of coffee, who says we can’t spend a little here and there to help keep our planet clean as well?

Above all, littering has a negative effect on everything. Animals get injured and swallow toxic things like oil and pesticides. People or animals can get sick or even die because of careless mistakes that happen in this world every day.

Littering can be prevented but it has to involve everyone as a whole to help out.  People that get caught littering could face fines or even jail time.  So if someone were to get caught tossing out a cigarette butt out of the car window, they should also know they just threw $500.00 away as well.

So please, be aware of the all of the consequences of littering and help keep our planet clean!

 

Marine Litter

Litter that is tossed into the ocean can travel long distances with the currents and winds. Not only does this litter directly affect marine life and birds, but it also washes onto beaches, is caught in fishing nets, damages boat motors, is an eyesore and smells bad. Plastic bags and plastic wrap can asphyxiate marine animals and fish, and birds can easily entangle themselves in plastic six-pack rings and strings. Animals also get sick or die from swallowing trash, such as cigarettes and silicon packets. Metal scraps and broken glass can cut the flesh of birds and other animals.

Land Litter

Land litter is not hard to spot and comes in all types — cigarette butts, plastic bags, old tires, fast food wrappers and plastic and glass bottles. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, seven major sources contribute to land litter: home trash cans, business trash collection areas, loading docks, construction and demolition sites, uncovered trucks, motorists and pedestrians. Litter isn’t just unsightly: It can cause vehicle accidents and injuries, smother plants, start fires and harm or kill animals. It also attracts rats and harmful bacteria.

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