A Literary Essay: Littering on a Larger Scale

Littering is a much larger issue than society might think, and your waste can slowly kill the earth without you even realizing it. It isn’t hard to notice trash lining the streets and even places like lakes and beaches, and every piece of plastic that is simply dropped onto the land is something that contributes to a global issue – one that is rampant in British Columbia amongst other areas. Littering leads to more problems than one might think, and it’s important to be aware of the effects that it can have globally on a larger scale. Littering and dumping can lead to devastating consequences on the earth, and once the earth has been harmed and resources have been used? There’s no possible renewal of that land.  

Dumping is another normalized form of littering. When businesses and companies have waste, it ends up in oceans and beaches as landfill. This in turn harms ecosystems as well as the sea animals and creatures native to this land, and it’s important to be aware of the waste caused by consumerism. When you are purchasing fast fashion and throwing away these items after the latest trend is over, you are littering without even realizing it. Countries in Africa and Asia suffer from this the most, and it is one of the most major examples of environmental racism in modern times, as the less fortunate and developing countries are used as dumping grounds from the United States and Canada.  

Unfortunately, for large environmental issues, there is rarely one concrete cure-all solution, meaning that it is hugely based around combined efforts and conscious choices made by individuals who care to make the effort. Every person should strive to be environmentally aware and good to the planet, and reducing the effects of consumerism is one way that littering and harmful waste can be repelled against and tackled in a realistic manner. One major issue that the globe faces is clothing waste and the littering of old clothing items. In the case of fast fashion brands like SHEIN, these products are made in harmful circumstances and made from plastic fibers, meaning that the landfills created by this wasted clothing does not wash away, it sticks and harms the environment more than you may realize. Fast fashion is something that people around the globe suffer the consequences of, and it’s one of the most massive litter sources in the world. This surplus of clothing affects lower-income countries who are stuck with the dumping of these garments, and it leads to piles upon piles of clothing that are wasted, dumped, and distributed in what feels like an endless cycle. If society works harder at purchasing from eco-friendly brands and reducing waste as much as possible, brands like SHIEN will eventually die out and their impact on the globe will be less severe.  

It’s commonplace to see products packaged in plastic in every store you go to, from larger chain stores to small businesses, plastic is the essential component in most packaging, leading to people littering these plastic pieces and containers out onto the streets and land, and contributing to landfills through these wasteful, harmful materials. As the years have progressed, people have started to take notice to the amount of plastic being used worldwide – and calls for action have been made against the wasteful usage of such a harmful product.  

     Plastic is one of the more difficult elements of waste to tackle, as it is something that is used in many everyday products that are thrown out. Food is packaged in plastic, meaning that it is one of the most common waste products in the world. A major solution that the world can use to reduce the environmental impact of plastic is lessening the number of products that are packaged in plastic that gets thrown out and winds up in landfills instead. If products are packaged in cardboard or biodegradable plastic alternatives like bamboo plastic, the waste is reduced and the landfills differ drastically, less sea animals are exposed to toxic microplastics, and the waste does not create harmful waters in our oceans and lakes. As individuals, it is mandatory to be aware of where you are throwing things away – recycling to reuse products is especially important, and a conscious effort to never throw any trash on the ground should be made in every person. There are steps that can be taken both globally and individually, and the efforts being made in Canada have been particularly helpful around the world, with the implementation of paper over plastic signifying a major shift in how retail treats the environment.  

     The digital age has brought along even more waste to the world, with electronic parts and components being dumped and discarded not unlike plastic and harmful waste. E-waste is a leading contributor to the global impacts of environmental racism and waste, and it is one of the most toxic forms of litter due to the harmful electronics and chemicals within this form of waste. Toxic chemicals leech out of items like batteries, and it is important to take these items to the right places for their eventual disposal.  

      One of the leading factors in e-waste is the overconsumerism surrounding the newest tech – as people purchasing the new and improved phones every year causes the old models to be discarded of and littered. This leads to a massive influx of waste, and it is important for individuals to be aware of these purchases and the impacts that they silently cause; for people living in countries where this waste is dumped, it isn’t so silent. Like many other pieces of the puzzle, it’s up to individuals to cut down on their waste and spending on technology. If a device works, keep it instead of swapping, and focus on the ethical purchasing of electronic devices from secondhand shops.  

      One person cannot change the world, but society can change. If society has been built to where it is now, it can be reshaped once more into a more globally friendly, environmentally conscious society. Small actions can have more impact than you might think – pick up litter, be aware of your purchases, and cut down on waste. Recycling is something that is implemented into society for a reason, and it is important to utilize reusing and recycling your waste into something that will bring it new life instead of harming the land we live on.