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Litter, dumping, pet waste, and water pollution it's becoming a big problem. What can we do to stop this DISGUSTING habbit and keep this state really enchanting? Should we raise the fine to 3000 dollars? Over the past several months I've been watching New Mexico's "TASS NO MAS" campaign. But, for some reason it's not getting through to people. I think personally everyone who is five feet in front of a trash can and they see a peice of garbage next to it, should pick it up and throw it away.
Very few people spend their day picking up trash off the street. But many throw it out of their car windows so they don't have to deal with the hassle of leaving it in their car until they have reached a disposal. How pathetic. Litter is something that is growing more and more each year. What should we do to solve this problem? How can we change other's mind-sets on this issue?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by missy on -
i don't know if people's mindset can be changed if they are compulsive litterers. they clearly have a lack of pride about themselves and their environment and that is a tough thing to change. i'm not sure any campaign, be it "toss no más" or "don't mess with (fill in the blank)" is enough to fix it.
speaking as one of those crazy people who do spend time picking up other people's tossed crap, it genuinely bothers me to see trash somewhere other than in a bag. i have a zero-tolerance policy regarding my own property and any area where my family spends time outdoors. i usually bring two bags on a walk--one for trash, one for recycling--and try to fill them. it's probably some form of OCD. however, my kids help me now and i believe they will not grow up to be jackasses who throw crap out of car windows (they may be jackasses for other reasons, but that is out of my control).
many years ago, an artist in santa fe named dominique mazeaud did a project called "the great cleansing of the rio grande," in which she systematically cleaned the "rio grande" (actually, it was the santa fe river) of all kinds of crap people had thrown in it. she then catalogued her finds and exhibited the detritus--clothing, toys, drug paraphenalia, and a surprising number of sex toys. after the initial project was done she held monthly clean-up meetings with a core group of volunteers. i would so love to do the same thing here.
i don't know if you can get people to stop defiling the environment, but you can make sure that you do more about it than just point it out. did you pick up anything after taking those pictures? if not, next time make sure you do. bring a bag with you whenever you go for a walk/hike/ride and make a point of picking up trash. also, the one with the person throwing crap off the back of a truck looks more like the midwest than new mexico--are the photos just from google or were they shot in situ here in albuquerque? an enormous amount of what you are showing could and should be recycled, which is also helpful.
also, even though people claim that dialing 311 is a resource, in my experience they have not been helpful. shame is a powerful motivator so if the site is bad enough (or you can't get anyone to listen to you at 311), call the media.
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Permalink Reply by misterhinkydink on -
We could start by having a nickel deposit on cans and bottles.
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Permalink Reply by Rodney on -
Hear Hear!!!!
Really, I've thought about something for several years that would address a couple of issues. Make trash worth cash.
The city, county or even the state should take the initiative and first of all establish a container deposit like many other states have. In Maine for instance, there are machines where you can insert a can or bottle and receive a nickel.
On a larger scale, what if you could get paid for bringing disposable items (ABSOLUTELY NO RECYCLABLE MATERIAL) to a collection center? Say you'd get something like $5 or $10 per 100 lbs or so. Some amount of cash that would be enough of an incentive for people to pick it up off the streets, highways and countryside. Enterprising individuals could establish collection routes to collect residential and or industrial waste. How much could the city save by not having to buy trash trucks and employ people to drive them? This is one thing that I think would be suitable for "privatization".
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Permalink Reply by hettie on -
we have a name for people who throw trash on the ground: litterf*&^s
as far as city streets, I wish the city would do a better job of providing trash cans/waste receptacles in public places. I know it requires paying city workers to go out and collect/change out trash bags, but it seems that it'd be worth it in improved quality of life. I think people might be more inclined to throw trash in a bin if they don't have to search around for one. and I wonder if cleaner sidewalks and streets might have the effect of making people less inclined to litter.
the other thing that people can do to reduce the amount of litter they have to dispose of is to stop consuming so much crap. it seems everything that's for sale these days comes with layers of packaging. to say nothing of the plastic shopping bag. either carry your own, or do without. I just read online that the estimate for usage of plastic bags in the u.s. is 84 billion annually. that's a lot of trash.
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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Brittain on -
Angelo, I totally agree with you on this one. I just disgusts me to see people anywhere throwing out litter. Maybe a small cash-back incentive to turn in bottles, cans, and trash might work. I'm not quite sure how to stop this problem. New Mexico is such a beautiful state and people "destroy" its beauty by throwing their garbage on the state's highways.
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