Saw a litter pickup crew at my local park and it made me rethink my trash habits

I was walking my dog at Riverside Park last Saturday morning and noticed this group of like 8 people with grabbers and bags picking up stuff along the walking path. I usually just toss my coffee cup in the nearest bin without thinking about where it ends up. But watching them pull out plastic wrappers and bottle caps from the bushes really hit me. I realized half my waste could probably be avoided if I just carried a reusable cup and water bottle. That next day I bought a stainless steel tumbler from Target for $15 and I havent bought a disposable bottle since. Anyone else have a random moment like that where you just see waste differently now?

2 comments

2 Comments

davidh8818d ago

That part about "pulling out plastic wrappers and bottle caps from the bushes" really got me. I mean, who thinks about bottle caps? We just twist them off and toss them without a second thought. But those things are everywhere and they never break down. I had a similar moment last year when I was cleaning out my car and found like 30 empty water bottles under the seats. I felt so stupid because I thought I was being careful but I was just hiding my mess. Now I keep a mesh bag in my trunk for recyclables and it honestly makes me feel less guilty.

miab1618d ago

Okay @davidh88, do you ever catch yourself just assuming something is recyclable and tossing it in the bin without checking the actual number on the bottom? That was my wakeup call when I found out half the stuff I trusted the recycling truck to take was just ending up in a landfill anyway.