Why Can’t People Throw Away Their trash?

After months and months of blaming the raccoons for the torn napkin, the lone chip bag, or the piece of foil that used to hold barbequed chicken, tucked away in the bushes, I have come to a sad conclusion. The animals are not the problem; the people are. Last week we cleaned a campsite that must have had at least 50 or 6o cigarette butts scattered all over the ground. We found multiple beer bottles thrown into the bushes right next to the trash can. (And yes, we have recycling area that no one seems to notice either.) I even found a McPherson Strut off of someone’s car neatly tucked under a small bush – not 10 feet from a half empty dumpster.

The teens & children are not totally innocent either. We often find candy wrappers, squeeze drinks, and other various broken and unbroken toys spread all around. One of the hardest things to pick up are the straw wrappers form the Capri Sun containers. Ant then there are the bottle tops both plastic and metal. I literally could pick them up all day. Rake and area and you’ll find ten more. It’s a never-ending struggle.

I have pondered the reason or reasons for all this mess and here’s what I have come up with.

1.     Entitlement – many people think it is below them to pick up. “someone else will do it.” Aren’t we paying people to clean it up? Isn’t that what janitors are for?”  

2.      1. Laziness – They just don’t feel like walking to a trash can. It is said that Walt Disney counter that it took 30 steps to finish a hot dog. He then put a trash can every 30 feet. People don’t like to put a wrapper in their pocket or bag until they come across a trash can. How pathetic! (https://jvieker.com/the-story-of-disneylands-trash-cans/)

3.    2. Altered Consciousness – I think many of the beer & liquor bottles pile are the consequence of the “one to many” syndrome. One to many beers = “Where did I leave my drink?”

4.    3. Poor Training – Parents don’t seem to spend the time training their children to pick up anymore. It could be that they don’t want to spend the time to do it. It’s just easier to pick up things themselves. Training takes time and work.

5.     4. Selfishness – I can guarantee that the majority of picnickers and campers would never keep the yards at their own house like they leave our parks. In fact, I have seen people throw things on the ground and then later complain about the “trash” that has blown into their yard form elsewhere in the neighborhood. Something just ain’t right!

So So what can we do? Train the employees, children, friends and family under our sphere of influence to think about others again. If you wouldn’t like to have a place look trashy, don’t trash it yourself. If everyone would just pick up the trash that they come across in front of them every day, imagine what a wonderful thing that would be!

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

OK, Rant Over. Have a great week!