I am a bag lady now. I cannot help myself. It started innocently enough. An observation during our daily morning walks to our beautiful, neighbourhood park. A curious pair of sneakers that hung from a tree for years, a lost mitten or dropped locket. We couldn’t reach the sneakers, which were likely tossed up there for a joke but we place lost articles on a nearby picnic table or take them to the lost and found at the nearby rec centre. But I’m not talking about these things. I’m talking about litter, carelessly or deliberately tossed aside. So now, my husband and I take along a garbage bag and most often than not, fill it to the brim: fast food packaging, water bottles (some full), smashed beer bottles and cans, drink boxes, coffee cups, lids, papers, cigarette boxes, full poo bags (what is the point of stoop and scoop then leaving it there?) and yes, the occasional old, smelly sock. I get so mad, so frustrated and so sad.
The groundskeepers here do a wonderful job. They know us by now. The lawns are perfectly mowed and waste bins are placed strategically everywhere but obviously ignored by too many. On this particular day, a woman sees what we are doing and says, “Thank you. It’s the high school kids you know.” Probably true but over the summer, we see as much litter left behind after adult soccer games. Besides it’s not a matter of blaming but an awareness, a thoughtfulness. During a time of heightened concern about the fate of this poor old planet, saving the environment can seem overwhelming. What can little old me do about it? The answer is lots. It really just starts with each one of us and that first little act of taking that first little step of looking around for a waste bin or calling out a friend who throws that empty coffee cup out a car window. It starts with creating a culture of environmental awareness.
The World Wildlife Fund Canada reported in 2021, that between 2019 at the start of the pandemic and 2020, one year later, the proportion of single-use packaging litter nearly doubled. That included a new category of personal protection. Governments, corporations and organizations are committing to reducing packaging and use of plastics but what about us as consumers? Have we cleaned up our act? Litter is pollution and pollution harms animals as well as humans
So, coaches, teachers, parents and students who want to make a difference, let’s set examples and show some leadership. And as for that nearby high school, how about a regular, real-world park clean-up project to tie in with classroom studies and build school spirit. It’s really an incredible feeling to take the initiative, make a commitment, accomplish something and be a part of a good thing.
As published in The Hamilton Spectator Nov.30, 2023
