Litter is a huge problem that can have devastating impacts on our planet, but there is something you can do to help!
Although cleaning up litter is always a suggestion, there are ways for everyone to help!
Please remember that every action matters. A small piece of litter to us can be deadly to your local wildlife, never underestimate the impact of litter and make sure to help, clean, support, and document!
1. Attend or Organize Clean Ups
Let’s get this tip out of the way as it may be the most obvious one.
One of the biggest ways you can help the litter crisis is by helping with cleanups!
If you’re a leader or want to make a difference in your area, consider organizing a clean-up. This is a great way to make an impact and meet like-minded people! Just keep in mind you may need to register your clean-up event depending on the rules in your area.
If organizing sounds like a headache, worry not! Through Google and social media you can search for events and get in contact with local environmental groups and find an event where you can help!
Cleanups may not be an option for you, and that’s okay because we have a lot more options on how you can help the litter crisis!
2. Support Creators Who Help
There are a lot of people on the frontlines helping the litter crisis.
A lot of volunteers and environmental creators need support to keep doing what they do – and this does not always have to be financial support.
Engage with these creators, share their posts, follow their journeys – give them the extra inspiration and hope they may need to keep going!
Community is everything.
3. Share Data on Litter
Never underestimate the value of data. The more we understand what makes up litter, the more we can do to stop it.
Looking at trends of litter and where certain types of litter end up, we can be proactive in dealing with it!
You can save this data for your own use, share it with local groups or even share it to platforms like #OpenLitterMap!
4. Vote and Advocate for Stricter Laws
Vote. We need you to vote (if you are eligible to vote).
It’s also important to make sure leaders are discussing how they plan on helping the little crisis by posing the question to your representatives and getting others to start thinking about the same thing!
5. Alert of Bad Zones
If you see spots that are badly littered, or a large piece of trash – for example, I found a pylon in a protected marsh yesterday – you want to let someone know.
Look for local groups on Facebook or Instagram as they can either help or point you in the right direction. You can also call your city!
I always recommend taking pictures and/or videos of these bad zones to share with others!
6. Pick as You Go
If you can do it safely when you see litter properly dispose of it!
Bring an extra garbage bag on your hike or use your empty snack bag to pick up trash on your way back.
Every action counts!
7. Never Litter
The best thing you can do is come prepared and reduce the waste you generate – if you know you’re going to create waste when you are outside, bring a bag that you can use to conveniently carry it with you until you find somewhere to dispose of it.
If you didn’t come prepared, please understand that a slight inconvenience of carrying litter is nothing compared to the pain litter can cause to our planet, people, and wildlife!
We can clean the Earth, one piece of litter at a time. Every action counts!
