OPINION– Mr. Tumwesigye (not his real name) recently told me a story of how one out of two chickens got trapped in a polythene bag at home. According to Tumwesigye’s narration, his chicken went missing until he found it in one of the rooms, struggling to breathe. This story touched my heart, especially at the point where he told me that the polythene bags had been dumped by family members after use.
What happened in Tumwesigye’s household reminded me of piles of waste that I see by the roadside during my daily morning walks. From household spaces to trading centers, especially in my community, people litter the spaces like they don’t care. The world is full of plastic bottles, plastic bags, and paper waste. Do we ever think about the environmental and social impact that litter has on our communities? Litter is waste that has been improperly disposed of in unsuitable locations, and it hurts the environment.
The litter we see around us comes from different sources and people, and in some cases, littering may be premeditated. You must have seen many people tossing their litter through car windows on a highway and pedestrians dropping plastic along the walkways. It should also be noted that other sources of litter are unintentional. They include waste that is blown off by the wind after it is not stuck in trash bins properly. Litter can be found anywhere, and it is an ongoing issue. It is seen along the river trails, on streets, roadsides, shopping mall parking lots, school and office yards, and anywhere in our community. From there, this waste scatters into our bodies of water. It is estimated that almost 10,000 metric tons of plastic waste enter our lakes each year.
The world over, commonly littered items, including but not limited to plastic bottles, papers, and masks (during the COVID-19 era), depending on the area and who is using them, are all problematic. With COVID, we saw medical waste increase to about 40%. Even as medical waste piled up those days, it was a tiny fraction of the municipal solid waste that we have now in different parts of the world.
Every year, the world generates more than 2 billion tons of trash. It is feared that by the year 2050, the amount of trash generated annually is expected to increase to 3.4 billion tons. Of the 2 billion tons of waste generated globally, 12% is plastic waste, but it is dwarfed by food, organic matter, and paper scraps. As the garbage piles up, no number of landfills and recycling programs can keep pace with this growing problem.
Why is littering a problem?
Litter impacts key areas of our lives as individuals and communities. The waste we litter hurts wildlife, water quality, community aesthetics, human health, and recreation, even if we seem not to care.
On wildlife, litter can be lethal depending on the product and can stay in the environment for many years. Animals living and roaming in communities can mistake littered items for food, and these items can make them very sick, poisoning them and harming their digestive systems.
Mismanaged waste can also impact water quality. This can happen when chemicals from litter find their way into our water bodies or when rain, water, and wind carry plastic waste to streams and rivers. Surging plastics impact the wildlife and aquatic species that depend on these waters for drinking, food supply, air supply, and habitat. Don’t forget that this is the very water that we draw and use at home. The level of my scientific understanding doesn’t tell me how invisible plastic materials can be treated and removed from the water we take.
A reasonable number of people like going out to enjoy and appreciate nature and its beauty. When you move around the areas that we like visiting to appreciate nature, we see different parts of our communities looking dirty and uncared for. It is an unappealing look for those living nearby, on top of causing smells and denying people the ability to use these spaces. Something that we tend to ignore, such sights send a message to passers that littering is acceptable in that given area. Such an area will not have many people coming around to spend their time.
Litter also has a far-reaching impact on human health. Food packaging, for example, or other materials can be a breeding ground for bacteria to thrive; old tires and bottles provide breeding grounds for diseases like mosquitoes. Poor disposal of waste also affects the way people interact with public spaces for recreational purposes by causing hazards and decreasing the recreational value of areas. It means people will not enjoy picnics, hiking, swimming, boating, and other fun activities.
Are there solutions?
A big yes! We can align our behavior and actions to make a positive change in our communities. While every piece that you litter counts, every action you take counts.
Litter is a challenge that we can work together to eliminate. Education and awareness are very important. Let us keep learning, let our friends and relatives know the impacts of littering, and encourage them to make more than an effort to always put trash where it is supposed to be. There is no reason for any of us to litter. If there is no trash can nearby, kindly take the bottle or paper home. Carry and keep that bottle in your car, and toss it at home later. Even when you reach home, make sure that waste, including paper, is stuck properly to prevent wind and rain from taking it away.
You can also carry your trash boxes to a place where trash can be picked up by garbage collectors if you live in an urban center. Your small actions can cause global change. Start today by picking up garbage and disposing of it properly. Proper handling of waste is a great step towards having a clean and safe environment for us and the whole of nature to thrive.
Zadock Amanyisa
Conservation Journalist
PHONE: +256706139795/+256782711457
EMAIL: zadock.amanyisa@gmail.com
