Rejected Matter: Trash and Litter

Whether we are traveling locally or overseas, we have half-expected or expected, ourselves to meet different people, to see different sights, to enjoy different culture. A humorous experience is memorable. A thrilling experience is unforgettable.

A ‘dirty’ experience is an eye-sore. What if you have psyched yourself for the whole week to swim next to the corals at the famous ABC Beach and found out that when you first step into the water, you are welcome by dead corals and rotting striped butterfly fish? What if you just finished your high-tea or spa from a 7 star hotel and have decided to do some sightseeing downtown and all you see are litterbugs littering. Isn’t it offensive to the moral and aesthetic sense?

Even though the only ‘travel’ that I have been doing so far, is just from home to work, I have seen enough litterbugs to really disgust me up to my spine for my whole entire life. A man who was driving in front of me unwind his car window, and threw his finished Milo plastic bag to the roadside.

A kid who was riding with parents in a Mercedes will again unwind the car window to throw out the empty Macdonald wrapper. If you were there, you seriously can see how horrified I was at the particular moment. It left me wondering in stupefaction - People of all ages, sizes, and social and religion background litter.

Why?

When I saw them littering, I really want to step out from my car and ask them, “What if I start littering in your bedroom or your house, how would you feel?” “What on earth were you thinking when you flung your empty Milo plastic bag out from the car window?” and “Why did you let your kid litter like an uncivilized person?” “Do you not know that littering is a big problem?”

Obviously, the answer is no.

Save my breath and anger, I thought. It is senseless to even communicate with people like them.

Litter is a big problem. Many people are totally unaware they contribute to this problem because they have many misconceptions about littering.

Myths: For smokers, they probably carry this thought that, “Throwing butts does not harm anything, besides everyone does it”.
Facts: Cigarettes contain poisonous chemicals harmful to animals and environment. They contribute to several thousand fires each year, and take up to 5 years to degrade.

Myths: For people, who toss fruits, they probably carry this thought that, “It is okay to toss fruit, they are biodegradable”.
Facts: Thousands of animals are injured or killed trying to get food littered on highways. Fruit takes 2 years to biodegrade.

Myths: For narrow-minded people, they probably carry this thought that, “Littering creates jobs”.
Facts: Litter cost money. Cleaning up litter costs about 9times more than it costs to collect trash from public and private trash receptacles.

Myths: For lacking of flexibility or breadth of view people, they probably carry this thought that, “One small wrapper won’t matter. It’s so small, who will notice?”
Facts: Litter begets litter. Litter leads to lower property values and crime. If no one picks up the wrapper, it will take 30 years to degrade.

Where do you see litter most often on top of your mind?

Pasar malam. Special event venues. Roadways and highways. High traffic and everyday locations and transition points.

Again, why do people litter? Why do we, the human race have fatally inherited this offensive littering behavior?

Because:

(1) People today lack the knowledge of how to care for the environment.

(2) People are inclined to litter more because litter has already accumulated.

(3) People lack the social pressure to not litter.

(4) People are inspired to litter more due to the absence of penalties or consistent enforcement.

(5) People find limited disposal containers

(6) People often feel no sense of pride in the areas they are littering.

(7) People do not view the item they are littering as litter.

Litter is ugly. It reduces the aesthetic quality of our surroundings and it can also harm wildlife and us. Please stop littering and share this with people around you. All it takes to stop littering is a little discipline and awareness for the environment and mankind.