6 FLY TIPPERS Introduction 50,000 One way to reduce littering is to empty trash bins frequently Increasing the number of containers in busy public places also helps LOIS GOBE SHUTTERSTOCK.COM When I was 11 years old I volunteered for the annual Alberta spring highway cleanup I thought I'd done my share after filling a couple of garbage bags and heaving them into the back of a pickup truck But it turned out our group was expected to clean several miles of highway The horrifying amount of trash we found left me wanting to understand why people treat our environment this way I wondered What does all this litter mean for the animals we share the planet with Walking down a street or through a park you probably notice garbage too You might dodge a cigarette butt crumpled tissue or glob of gum It's foul and germy and unpleasant It's natural to wonder why people don't just use trash cans
Most will agree that scattered waste is unsightly It's more than ugly though Litter can have a major effect on wildlife pets and farm animals Tossed trash often ends up in water It travels long distances from rivers to seas adding waste to our oceans Animals that get tangled in litter or eat plastics or poisonous objects may become injured or sick Many die What will it take to clean up our planet Around the world people are trying to answer this question In this book you'll discover the many ways litter can hurt animals how people are finding solutions and what you can do to help prevent litter Remouing gum from pavement and other surfaces is a costly and time consuming chore Modern chewing gum creates plastic waste that may last from tens to hundreds of years before breaking down AFRICA STUDIO SHUTTERSTOCK.COM You can help restore animal habitat by picking up litter Cleanup campaigns help raise awareness about the consequences of litter and inspire volunteers to reduce their use of plastics STOCK ASSO SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
CHAPTER ONE The Trouble With Litter Help make your trash less attractive to critters Rinse off any food waste to reduce smells and cut up any product or material that an animal could get tangled in Use a sturdy bin to make it hard for animals to access household waste JOSHUA RESNICK SHUTTERSTOCK.COM 8 MORE THAN UGLY Most people throw things away every day It might be unwanted food a plastic sandwich bag or a candy wrapper As a resident of Earth you make decisions about your stuff all the time You might give away the clothes you outgrow or sort trash for recycling Maybe you turn kitchen scraps into compost According to the World Bank each person creates an average of 1.6 pounds 0.73 kilograms of waste every day Some is disposed of safely It goes into garbage bins or dumpsters eventually reaching a waste management facility Sometimes though people drop trash on the ground Litter is any unwanted item left where it does not belong You might see it on sidewalks or twirling in a whirlwind You might spot trash building up along a fence dropped in a ditch or floating in a pond Litter includes apple cores orange peels and other organic waste along with disposable cups plates and utensils It can be dirty diapers or plastic bags straws and bottles
butts Gum Cigarette butts are the most commonly littered item Plentiful and deadly they can take from 2 to 25 years to decompose depending on their exposure to sun water and other conditions Even large items like furniture tires or old appliances are sometimes dumped outdoors All this refuse gets in the way of animals who need to forage for food and find nesting sites without garbage in their way Hopefully you choose not to be a litterbug Bits of litter add up to tons of garbage over time When it comes to getting rid of stuff your choices are important They can promote sustainability Your decisions can help keep our planet green and clean for the 8.7 million species of animals living here Tires contain natural and synthetic rubber as well as chemicals and heavy metals As tires break down they release toxins that pollute waterways where aquatic species live MAURICIO HANDLER GETTY IMAGES gum butts Cigarette filters are made from a type of plastic called cellulose acetate When littered cigarette butts release plastic nicotine and other pollutants Bins like this prevent toxins from leaching into ecosystems and reduce the risk of cigarettes starting garbage can fires ALENA VEASEY SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
