Saturday, April 22 is the 53-year anniversary of Earth Day. Earth Day is an environmental movement that's establishment encouraged residents of the world to become conscious of their impact on the planet. All around the US people take part in numerous service activities that include planting trees, picking up trash, as well as selectively removing invasive species of plants.
Earth Day cleanups have quickly gained popularity as an increasing number of people are becoming environmentally conscious and willing to contribute their efforts. Multiple events have been planned that center around earth day cleanups as well that encourage local families to get involved in maintaining their neighborhoods and local parks. However, cleanups only account for a fraction of the large-scale litter issue. The global litter issue is astounding, but in the US alone, approximately 50 billion pieces of litter waste end up in roads and water sources.
A study conducted by researchers in California found that each time they returned to a site they has cleaned the previous week, they would find the same amount if not more trash. The trash accumulated at a steady pace without slowing regardless of the researcher's multiple efforts to clean the area. Environmental researcher Win Cowger states that they “ were keeping these sites pristinely clean, and that litter accumulation was steady, It was scary how steady it was.” The majority of the trash found was plastic waste from various products including single-use food packaging, plastic bags, and tobacco products.
As citizens become more aware of the litter problems plaguing the country, there has been increasing pressure for the government directly attack the cause of the problem. Encouraging Americans to reduce their plastic intake can be beneficial, however, an impactful way to reduce the production of common trash products is by holding companies accountable for their contributions towards the issue. Only very recently in 2021, Maine and Oregon established their laws that hold companies accountable for the contribution their products have on the environment. These states implemented policies that require companies to pay for the cost of recycling, which is directly impacted by the materials used. Overall, people all over the country recognize the problem at hand and are ready to take part in solving it.
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