According to a 2021 study by Keep America Beautiful (KAB), a leading nonprofit that seeks to improve our community environment, littering continues to be a major problem in the United States. Who is littering? There is no one profile of a litterer as adults and children litter as well as peoples of all races and cultures. Why do people litter? Generally, it is because they expect someone else to cleanup for or after them. One of the main keys to solving the littering problem is through education, especially with our children.
What can we do? Here are some suggestions:
Research to find out if your local government has a litter prevention program and what type of information it provides. It will have a lot of written information that you can review with your children and even have them take to their classes.
Join a litter prevention group. KAB has many programs and initiatives on its website.
Ensure that your trash containers that are placed outside are sealed tightly so trash does not escape, or animals get into it.
Keep a litter bag in your vehicle and use it.
Join with your children in community cleanup days. They will see for themselves all the trash and truly appreciate the beauty of the environment once the area is cleaned up.
Teach your children about how important it is to recycle. This link has some activities that you can do with your children to help them learn more. https://www.naturesphttps://naturespath.com/en-us/blog/19-activities-kids-learn-recycling
Also, have your children help you with separating your family’s trash into what is recyclable and not.
There is so much that we can do to educate our children and get them involved in anti-littering initiatives and programs.
To learn more, please visit:
https://cvwma.com/cvwma-education/litter-prevention/
https://naturespath.com/en-us/blog/19-activities-kids-learn-recycling