Littering

Littering

Picture from GoogleⓇ
Littering is a big problem in today's world. Here are a few ways to solve this growing problem:
  • Put garbage items in the trash
  • Keep a litter bag in your car to hold the trash you have, so you can throw it in the bin later
  • Report littering
The effect on the environment

Many stray animal such as: dogs, cats, and birds tend to eat our litter when we throw it on the street, the park etc. This leads to death and other effects on their bodies.

TAKEN FROM SCIENCING.COM:

PLASTIC

Discarding plastic products, including grocery sacks, rapidly fills up landfills and often clog drains. When plastic litter drifts out to sea, animals like turtles or dolphins may ingest the plastic. The plastic creates health problems for the animals including depleting their nutrients and blocking their stomachs and intestines. Animals cannot break down plastic in their digestive system and will usually die from the obstruction. Pieces of plastic can also get tangled around animals' bodies or heads and cause injury or death.

WATER POLLUTION

Litter in our water supply from consumer and commercial use creates a toxic environment. The water is ingested by deer, fish and a variety of other animals. The toxins may cause blood clotting, seizures or serious medical issues that can kill animals. The toxic water may also kill off surrounding plant life on riverbanks and the bottom of a pond's ecosystem. When humans eat animals that have ingested compromised water supplies, they also can become sick.

SOIL

Runoff from litter, polluted water, gasoline and consumer waste can infiltrate our soil. The soil absorbs the toxins litter creates and affects plants and crops. The agriculture is often compromised and fails to thrive. Animals then eat those crops or worms that live in the soil and may become sick. Humans who eat either the crops or the animals feeding on the infected agriculture can also become ill.

JARS AND BOTTLES

Discarded jars and bottles usually do not biodegrade naturally and add to our mounting litter problem. The litter remains in our landfills and clog our sewers, streets, rivers and fields. Crabs, birds and small animals may crawl into the bottles looking for food and water and become stuck and slowly die from starvation and illness. The World Wide Fund for Nature reported some 1.5 million tons of plastic waste from the water bottling industry alone.

Exceptions
  • Fruit peels
A fruit peel is Biodegradable. Biodegradable means capable of being decomposed by bacteria or other living organisms and thereby avoiding pollution.
  • Plant products
Plant products are Biodegradable.
  • Wood
Wood is Biodegradable.
  • Paper
Paper is Biodegradable.
  • Food waste
Food waste is Biodegradable.

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