totallytinab

The first time I ever visited Arizona, I was amazed at how clean the city was.  I have now been here almost 20 years and my opinion has changed.  I take a walk each day with my dog Bella.  We usually go early in the morning and it’s a nice way to burn some of Bella’s endless energy.  Our route takes us around my neighborhood and past a local high school.  I can not believe the amount of trash that we encounter.  The last few days, I have taken a trash bag and tried to do my part in cleaning up. This morning I walked less than 1 mile and my bag was full.  This makes me absolutely sick!  Why do people think it is OK to just throw trash out of their cars?  I remember a commercial when I was little where an American Indian was crying when he saw someone littering, I feel like that Indian.

There are three main litter bugs that I can see when picking up trash.  The first are smokers.  There are endless cigarette butts and even empty packs of cigarettes.  I find it ironic that people are willing to smoke and pollute their bodies but do not want a cigarette butt to “dirty” up their cars.  The second are construction workers or people with pick-up trucks. This group puts their trash from Circle K into their pick-up beds and the trash flies out when they are driving. So even though they are not consciously throwing trash out of their cars like smokers, they are still responsible for the mess by the side of the road.  The third group are the drinkers.  I am not sure whether these people are drinking and driving and want to hide any evidence or they are underage and hiding evidence but there are way too many beer cans, broken bottles and empty minis littering our streets.

I am not very “green”  I drink water out of plastic bottles.  We own an SUV.  I like a light on when I watch TV.  I don’t have a garden.  But I don’t litter.  If all of us can do our part and just pick up a piece of garbage if you pass it.  Maybe even take a garbage bag with you on your next walk?  If we all just do a little, it could be a lot.  And it would certainly make my walks with Bella more enjoyable.