See litter? Please, just pick it up

To the editor:

I’ve noticed lately that there’s a lot more litter on our streets and sidewalks. The litter baskets along the Johnson Avenue commercial area have been full to overflowing with a lot of household trash.

As I was walking my dog recently, I witnessed a woman dump a printer into a litter basket, then walk to empty another large electronic something into the litter basket on the next corner. I politely approached her and told her this trash should be thrown out or recycled where she lives, not on the street. She did not understand what I was saying, and seemed embarrassed to have been caught, but I’m hoping she’ll think twice next time.

We are fortunate to live in a neighborhood that is pretty well maintained, but we can always do better. And in defense of getting a little dirt on your hands, recent research has shown that exposure to the pathogens (germs/dirt) in our environment actually boosts our immune systems. So why not pick up that plastic bag? Would you rather see that bag flapping in that beautiful tree you love to look at?

Why not keep a trash bag in your car and empty it when you get home? It really takes so little effort, and this is just a small way we can improve our neighborhood.

And I’d like to say thanks to that handful of folks and a few merchants like John’s Botany Bay Florist, who are also trash patrol like me. Perhaps our numbers will grow. For as long as we have to live with plastic, we may as well get it off the ground and intro a trash basket.

We can all make a difference.

Kathleen Burke