Litter

In my final semester of 2010 I took a speech class. Here is the speech I gave on litter!

Imagine yourself driving through the mountains on a hot summer day, the green trees are whipping past you in your bright red convertible and the sun is shining in your face. You can hear the sounds of running water close by and you’re enjoying the sights of nature and the smell of the mountain fresh air. And suddenly, some one’s nasty, old chip bag smacks you right in the face. Isn’t that just a thing of beauty? Litter is the act of carelessly discarding trash in Canada’s parks, beaches, rivers, forests, streets and other natural environments. According to Stats Canada, it was estimated that each one of us Canadians generates 383 kg of waste, or 30 green garbage bags per year. That is why today I will be talking about the personal litter we contribute to this unsightly and damaging mess, and why it’s a habit we need to trash. I have always had a thing for litter. It all started when I was little, my mom and dad would pay me a whole shiny dollar to go around the neighbourhood and pick up all the litter that laid in the gutters and bushes. Ever since then, I have been the litter police, enforcing the litter laws. This matters to you because we all are lucky enough to share the beautiful and natural sights that our earth has to offer us, and nothing is worse than seeing a beer can floating in one of our many lakes and rivers. Littering is a safety and health issue for humans, harmful to our animal and marine life friends, and wastes away the earth’s natural beauty; these are all reasons why we need to stash the trash to ensure a clean and healthy future.


Littering is trashing our earth; it’s not only wasting away the natural beauty that we enjoy every day, but it is also creating harmful effects for humans. The Prague Post, a Czech Republic newspaper, suggests the following concerns of litter: If a child was to step on a discarded syringe, or even touch or ingest hazardous materials, they could be exposed to life changing diseases, infections or ailments. Litter also becomes a magnet for rodents and pests that can transmit diseases to humans. Rodents will make litter piles their homes and mating grounds, which increases vermin and pest populations, which increases the risk of humans contracting diseases. Not only does litter pose these health hazards, there are safety issues to consider. Cigarette butts create fire risks. The butts can be blown into brush, dry grass and other litter which could catch fire and leave people homeless; animals injured, and even leave permanent damage and scorching to natural landscapes.

When litter is not busy posing health and safety risks to humans, it’s having a harmful impact on animals and marine life. I can remember as a kid being told to cut up my dad’s six pack holders, so that small animals and fish won’t get tangled in them and suffocate. At the time, I didn’t understand why the six-pack holders would end up in the ocean if we were throwing them in the garbage. But according to David Osborne, coordinator of the United Nations global programme of action for the protection of the marine environment or the UNEP, as much as 80% of the pollution load in coastal waters originates from land-based activities. The UNEP Regional Seas Coordinating office states that plastic debris causes over one million seabird, and 100,000 marine mammal deaths every year due to suffocation or entanglement. Everything from toothbrushes, syringes and lighters have been found in these mammals stomachs. And if that isn’t unhealthy enough, litter causes toxicity to water supplies. Toxins from hazardous materials and cigarette butts seep into natural waterways. The water than becomes polluted, and according to Cathy Ives, the creator of Green Eco Services, an informational website that supports and inspires the green movement, toxins from cigarettes can persist in the environment for as long as some types of plastic, contaminating the very water we and our animal friends share. Litter is becoming part of our natural scenery and because of this; it has become a contributor to the depredation of natural environments, that’s why it’s important to understand the causes of litter.

And let’s just say there is a heaping pile of causes. I am going to discuss 3 common ones. According to the Prague Post, the first common cause is motorists and pedestrians using roadways instead of finding and using garbage cans. A second cause is illegal dumping or uncovered truckloads. Overloading or improperly secured loads can lead to objects being blown out of truck beds and personal trailers, also the unloading and disposing of these loads improperly, or in areas not meant for garbage collection becomes a source of trash. The third common cause is litter left at events like concerts or festivals. Large events draw large crowds, and these large crowds generate a large amount of trash that may be difficult to manage. Once the event is over and the crowds have left, the litter is usually carried into surrounding areas which is a problem for everyone. It’s crucial to understand what causes litter so that we can prevent this issue not just on a global scale, but on a local one as well.

These global and local impacts are leaving a stinky imprint on the earth and our communities. Some litter is not easily broken down, which is a source of many interconnected impacts on Mother Nature. According to Eco Services, it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose, this seems like a lifetime, and is a major contributor to the issue of plastics filling the oceans. According to a press release written by Nick Nuttall, spokesperson for the UNEP, over 46,000 pieces of plastic litter are floating on every square mile of ocean today, this stresses the connection of plastic to the endangerment of animal and marine life alike. The press release suggests that 19 of 21 albatross species are endangered as well as several populations of fish and marine animals like tuna, ducks and the list goes on. These charming and innocent animals cannot protect themselves, that is why we need to be aware of where and what our waste really does, so we can take steps to ensure the existence of animal survival. Which brings me to the next consequence, you may not know it, but in fact litter is impacting Calgarians every day; Calgary is said to be one of the world’s worst polluters. According to journalist Shawn Logan for the Quebec Media Inc. Agency, in a report arranged for the United Nations, Calgary ranked in the top 50 global cities of worst polluters. This is giving our fair town a stinky rep and distorted image. It is obvious that we need to evaluate and take into consideration our own personal views of littering in order to give Calgary a clean rep and healthy future.

Clearly litter is a serious issue, but there are some easy steps we can take to prevent personal littering, and it starts with you! One person can make a big difference. If everyone was to recycle rather than trash recyclables litter would decrease tremendously, according to Eco Green Services, between 40-60% of litter are plastic bottles. Simply just using trash cans properly is an easy solution, make sure all trash makes it into the bins and that the bin lid is securely in place to avoid wind or animal interference. Be a re-user and not a user, use reusable containers instead of plastic wraps to make your lunch, use cloth grocery bags instead of plastic, and buy a reusable and safe water bottle instead of buying individual plastic ones. Another step to prevention is to just encourage others to be litter free! Get a group of friends together and take part in litter pick-up programs like Pitch-in week or the Alberta Annual Highway Clean up. And finally be a source of education. Share with friends and family the impacts and effects that litter has on our environment. These simple and easy steps can decrease the amount of trash laying around, allowing us to enjoy a more beautiful landscape, and a healthier environment for our future generations to live.

Now that we have gotten a dose of reality, I want you guys to get back in your red convertibles. You’re driving through the mountains; the sun is shining in your face. You can hear the sounds of a large water fall to the left of you, it’s clear, refreshing and you wish you could stop to dip your toes in, and as you speed by you notice a family of deer frolicking in a meadow and chewing on long, thick grass. You’re enjoying the sights of nature and the smell of the mountain fresh air, this time, no nasty old chip bag smacks you in the face. Now that is truly a thing of beauty!!

Let’s make this a reality; let’s not let litter become a part of earth’s natural landscape. So today I have shared with you why litter is a bad habit that we need to trash. Litter is a safety and health hazard for humans, harmful to our animal and marine life friends, and is wasting away the natural beauty of the earth, a place we call home. By getting involved, being aware, and using the trash, we can all make a difference. So let’s stash the trash and give Mother Nature her beauty back.