I recently read an article in "Missouri Conservationist" March 2012 issue that I wanted to share. April is Missouri's annual Bash Trash Month! Littering costs Missourians money. "Littering can cost a person up to $1,000 in fines and one year in jail. MoDOT spends more than $5 million each year cleaning litter from roadsides. MDC spends almost $1 million a year cleaning litter from conservation areas and other locations." I thought these numbers were shocking! $6 million spent per year in just this one state, Missouri. Multiply that by all 50 U.S. States and Litter costs upwards of $300 million per year, hurts wildlife and conservation areas and poisons streams and habitats.
Photo Courtesy of "Missouri Department of Conservation"
The article caught my attention because I recently witnessed a person littering when I visited Kansas City's "Loose Park" with my husband and children. The person was sitting in the passenger seat of her vehicle parked next to the grass. As the vehicle was pulling out of the lot, she threw her plastic cup out the car window onto the grass. She saw me see her do it and she stared at me all the way out of the parking lot. There was a trash can less than 30 feet from where she was parked. I felt angry that someone would so blatantly trash this beautiful park.
Playground; Loose Park, Kansas City, Missouri
Let's do our civil duty and help keep American and Missouri clean by throwing out trash where it belongs, in the trash can and picking up trash along highways, in parks and conservation areas to preserve these beautiful natural wonders and wild animals! For more information on how you can help keep Missouri Clean, visit www.nomoretrash.org
Comments(4)