Every day in our community at least one piece of trash flows away into the breeze, polluting the Earth. Whether someone carelessly or negligently throws trash away, the garbage fails to make it into the proper container and nature becomes polluted. 

“I consider the rule ‘Don’t litter’ to be the golden rule when it comes to the environment. Taking the initiative to not litter is the pinnacle of something that takes minimal effort, but results in the greatest of awards,” said freshman Ella Hogan.

Junior Megan Shea agreed.

“Seeing trash on the side of the road makes me feel incredibly angry, partly because it comes from such laziness and an utter lack of care for the planet we live on,” said Shea. “It seems irresponsible to me and makes me incredibly sad. This is our one planet and we need to take care of it.”

Other students said they take issue with people tossing trash out of their vehicles.

“It frustrates me that people think that throwing things out of their car windows is better than waiting to dispose of it properly when they get home. There isn’t much to do about it though. We fine people, but it keeps happening. We will just have to be around to pick it up and keep our nature clean,” said sophomore Elly Hume. 

According to students, people also often litter for self-centered reasons.

“If I saw a piece of trash flying past me I’d be pretty disappointed because somebody probably threw their trash on the ground out of carelessness and selfishness,” said freshman Alex Baez.

Unfortunately, trash doesn’t always end up on the ground due to carelessness. 

“I’ve seen trash fly out of overflowing trash cans leading to even more litter. This is hard to think that even people who do the ‘right’ thing might have their trash end up where they tried to keep it from. In general I don’t like the idea of a trash surplus that leads to litter,” said sophomore Ryan Hollan.

Students said that a world less teeming with garbage would be a more welcoming place. 

“When littering happens, it harms animals, plants, and the environment as a whole that we live in. It’s important that it’s kept as a safe and enjoyable space for everyone. When I see litter on the ground it makes the area feel less welcoming. Cleaning up litter can go a long way, and can make our district a more enjoyable place for everyone,” said sophomore Aaron Brenn.

Overall, students recognize that picking up trash creates a better planet to live on. 

“The world is not our personal trash can,” said Hogan.” The idea is not to protect the environment, but rather to create a world in which the environment does not need protecting.”