Litter Awareness Month Encourages the Community to “RETHINK” Waste
Since the emergence of plastics in the 1950’s, and consequently the surge in litter, we’ve been told the narrative that the solution to litter is through, you guessed it, not-littering. For the month of April, the Town of Columbus and Conserving Carolina are encouraging our community to RETHINK this narrative and consider alternative solutions.
Based on the City of Lancaster’s Litter Letter Project, AmeriCorps Project Conserve Members, Laura Anderson and Sarah Sussman, have installed “RETHINK” in Stern’s Park. Each letter, filled with roadside litter, is a visual of the most common forms of litter and a symbol of how our individual actions impact our neighborhoods, parks, and natural places. Inspecting these letters further, you will recognize many of these objects and may notice one common theme — single-use. It’s no secret that our trash cans and roadways are filled with objects produced with the intention to be thrown away after one, single use, and although these disposables are convenient, they will always pose the risk of becoming litter and polluting the planet we share.
This leads to the question — how do we prevent litter when trash is so prevalent within our society? Is the solution more trash cans, stricter law enforcement, and educating the youth? Or should we target the issue at the source — the production of these objects to begin with. In part, these all offer valid solutions to our litter and our waste problems.
We all know the importance of Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, but now it’s time to take it a step further and RETHINK our dependence on single-use products…and RETHINK the sources of litter and how to prevent it.
Let’s work together to cleanup and put trash in its place by encouraging waste-free solutions — like supporting a circular economy with reusable, refillable, and returnable opportunities.
Let’s use Earth Month to RETHINK our impact on our world and do our part to be better citizens and create more beauty for ourselves and our friends, family, and neighbors to enjoy…and ultimately, keep our soils and freshwater sources healthy for both humans and animals. Let’s RETHINK our future!
During the month of April, there will be several Litter Pickups organized in the Town of Columbus and many other communities. It’s a great time to get outside and do your part to clean up our neighborhoods – become a volunteer!
Conserving Carolina is hosting a volunteer litter pickup in the Town of Columbus on April 24, from 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Sign up is required at [email protected] or 828-697-5777 ext. 211.
In case of inclement weather, please contact Pam Torlina by e-mail, pam@conservingcarolina, by 8 a.m. on the day of the cleanup and/or check the Conserving Carolina website or Facebook page to see if the event will take place.
Conserving Carolina, your local land trust, works to protect, restore, and inspire appreciation of nature. Learn more and become a member at conservingcarolina.org.
