100 x: The 2022 Edition (Final)
"A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."
–Franklin Delano Roosevelt
This photographic project took nearly a year to complete and was unlike any other that I have done! It wasn’t a pretty subject and even had its potential hazards. There certainly was an endless supply of subject matter, but I wanted to learn about what the effects are of every type of trash that is improperly disposed of (litter), whether accidentally or on purpose. The terms trash, garbage, rubbish, refuse, and litter are used interchangeably, but the act of littering is when a person discards something, usually manmade, without permission or at an unsuitable place. The number one source of litter is cigarette butts with more than 4.5 trillion individual butts polluting our planet!
Garbage is waste material discarded by humans that is no longer useable or wanted. This does not include bodily waste or toxic products.
Learning about why people “litter” goes beyond the seemingly obvious thoughts that many of us who hate seeing it everywhere we go may assume. While some of those assumptions are probably correct, it’s more complicated than thinking they are lazy, careless, selfish, etc.
How much education people have and specifically on the subject of recycling trash and why they should not litter plays a key role. Income and where they reside are fundamental components in whether they can concern themselves with how or where to dispose of trash. Many communities do not provide collection services, or the services may be unaffordable. When people are confronted with their own day-to-day problems, they are most likely not thinking of how trash or litter may impact others or about the overall health of the planet.
Trying to use things longer, buy less and reuse can reduce what we dispose of. Knowing how to sort what we throw out, what happens to the items collected, what can be recycled or remanufactured, how much it will cost, or what happens to all the rest that cannot be used can be quite confusing.
When trash is improperly disposed of, much of it remains in the environment for long periods of time. It slowly breaks down, leaching toxins or microplastics into the soil. These contaminants eventually work their way into streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, and finally the oceans. This leads to serious health consequences for every living organism, from microscopic species the whole way up the living chain of animals, including humans.
Some scientists and advocacy groups suggest that these problems are complex and solutions must start at the top, for instance by holding large manufacturing companies accountable for the products they make. They should be encouraged to find innovative new ways to produce products that can be reused and don’t cause harm to our air, earth, water, and especially our health. Moreover, governments should collectively invest in science, technology and public education on a continued systematic plan for addressing this global issue.
It is over simplified to suggest, that imposing fines, incentivizing, or believing that if we all just do our part by not throwing trash on the ground, picking up what others indiscriminately drop, or having group clean-ups, will fix the problem.
100 x: The 2022 Edition (Final)
"A nation that destroys its soils destroys itself. Forests are the lungs of our land, purifying the air and giving fresh strength to our people."
–Franklin Delano Roosevelt
This photographic project took nearly a year to complete and was unlike any other that I have done! It wasn’t a pretty subject and even had its potential hazards. There certainly was an endless supply of subject matter, but I wanted to learn about what the effects are of every type of trash that is improperly disposed of (litter), whether accidentally or on purpose. The terms trash, garbage, rubbish, refuse, and litter are used interchangeably, but the act of littering is when a person discards something, usually manmade, without permission or at an unsuitable place. The number one source of litter is cigarette butts with more than 4.5 trillion individual butts polluting our planet!
Garbage is waste material discarded by humans that is no longer useable or wanted. This does not include bodily waste or toxic products.
Learning about why people “litter” goes beyond the seemingly obvious thoughts that many of us who hate seeing it everywhere we go may assume. While some of those assumptions are probably correct, it’s more complicated than thinking they are lazy, careless, selfish, etc.
How much education people have and specifically on the subject of recycling trash and why they should not litter plays a key role. Income and where they reside are fundamental components in whether they can concern themselves with how or where to dispose of trash. Many communities do not provide collection services, or the services may be unaffordable. When people are confronted with their own day-to-day problems, they are most likely not thinking of how trash or litter may impact others or about the overall health of the planet.
Trying to use things longer, buy less and reuse can reduce what we dispose of. Knowing how to sort what we throw out, what happens to the items collected, what can be recycled or remanufactured, how much it will cost, or what happens to all the rest that cannot be used can be quite confusing.
When trash is improperly disposed of, much of it remains in the environment for long periods of time. It slowly breaks down, leaching toxins or microplastics into the soil. These contaminants eventually work their way into streams, ponds, lakes, rivers, and finally the oceans. This leads to serious health consequences for every living organism, from microscopic species the whole way up the living chain of animals, including humans.
Some scientists and advocacy groups suggest that these problems are complex and solutions must start at the top, for instance by holding large manufacturing companies accountable for the products they make. They should be encouraged to find innovative new ways to produce products that can be reused and don’t cause harm to our air, earth, water, and especially our health. Moreover, governments should collectively invest in science, technology and public education on a continued systematic plan for addressing this global issue.
It is over simplified to suggest, that imposing fines, incentivizing, or believing that if we all just do our part by not throwing trash on the ground, picking up what others indiscriminately drop, or having group clean-ups, will fix the problem.