Have you ever wondered what happens to trash over the years when it lays on the ground or how it affects our environment? Foods scraps don’t take long to decompose; however, glass and plastic can take millions of years to break down. When you drive around, you see paper cups and fragments of plastic scattered across the ground along with partially buried plastic bags and beer bottles. Motorists throw plastic iced coffee cups out the window and don’t think twice about it. Ten years from now, that plastic cup that was thrown out the window will still be sitting there.
I don’t like the thought of living on a planet covered in garbage. I don’t understand why people think it’s ok to throw their McDonalds bags, tissues and cigarettes or whatever else they are throwing out the window for animals to get into, or why they throw dip containers on the side of the side of the road to rot on Earth. I believe that people just don’t respect their surroundings anymore.Trash that gets thrown into lakes or ponds by those passing by or fishing, over time, sinks to the bottom or settles on land.Trash in streets can wash into sewers, storm drains or rivers and streams when it rains and be carried to oceans or coastal waters.
Fish and mammals ingest harmful toxins affecting the humans that consume the animals. Lead, cadmium and mercury have been found in fish living in the ocean, which is dangerous for humans to eat. These toxins are linked to cancer, birth defects and even immune system problems and early development issues. Chemicals, if not degraded properly, can remain in the environment for hundreds of years and be absorbed through the human skin or inhaled.
People need to do everything they can to help our environment. The majority of the population doesn’t care about the environment. As a result, they just throw their trash out of the window of their cars or as they are walking. Why not wait until there is a trash can in sight or when you have a recycling bin near? Littering leads to several environmental issues and health factors which is why we should prevent doing it.
Haley Wright
Communicating Health, Science and the Environment 
Great post. Just the other day the person in front of me at a stop light, rolled down their window and just threw all their trash onto the street. I think my jaw actually dropped. I was so shocked that someone could actually do that. While it’s not true that ALL people don’t respect their surroundings anymore, I think it’s definitely true that a lot of them don’t.
Megan DeBanto
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People just do not care or do not know what this actually does to the environment, we only have one planet and it is our duty to keep it clean. I do not understand how people could throw all of their trash out of the window, if I ever did that, I would feel so guilty.
Jane Gripshover
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Even the new automated trash trucks litter because there no longer is a garbage man in the back that monitors whether or no all of the trash makes it into the truck. It truly is devastating. I try to pick up litter (if it looks sanitary enough to pick up with my bare hands) on my walk home from class. I will understand why people can’t just hold onto their trash until they reach a public trashcan!
Madeleine Converse
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You make a good point. Something that really bothers me is cigarette butts being everywhere. Not only are they bad for the air and release tons of toxins but they are thrown on the ground to be eaten by animals and pollute the earth. Its hard to walk around and not find a trashcan near you, they are everywhere.
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You make a good point. I don’t understand how someone can just throw trash out the window while they are driving. Is it too much effort to put it in a trash can? The trash people throw out on the ground affects a lot more than they think. People need to start being conscious of their behavior and attitude toward the environment, and try to help it not destroy it.
Courtney Zimpfer
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Exactly! People just need to take a couple more minutes of there time to find a garbage can. It will be worth it in the long run. Even seeing trash laying on a soccer field or a park makes the place look gross and disturbing. Everyone should work together to make the world look good and not trashy.
Abigail Cain
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Your post is spot on! I think the reason many people litter is because of pure laziness or ignorant to the harmful affects that, that plastic cup from McDonald’s has on the environment. I have to admit I am guilty of littering at times and I wish I did not do it at all, but I think it is convenient to just get rid of it now rather than look for a trash can. Now that I know how long my trash can take to decompose I will think the next time I go to litter.
-Shelby Scholl
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