Why do we have so much garbage?

I have a pet peeve. I hate seeing garbage piled up everywhere in the city. Sometimes I wonder if no one else sees or smells what I do!

Is it possible that as a people we have gone ‘blind’ to the garbage?

There is so much garbage that after a while persons walk by without even noticing the stench that lingers in the air when garbage has been left sitting outside for a few weeks.

I was driving behind a man recently who just casually threw several bottles out of his car and on the road. The cars around him simply swerved to avoid hitting them. Why couldn’t he just have waited until he arrived somewhere that would allow him to dispose of the containers properly?

Those people who throw garbage on the street, sidewalk and gullies contribute to our flooded streets as when it rains heavily our drainage system is compromised by the garbage. There are fines for littering but of course they are hard to enforce.

I hate how people dispose of their garbage so irresponsibly even when there are bins readily available. It seems to be a chronic problem in keeping our environment clean.

Storage

I know some might have arguments about the lack of storage of garbage at some facilities but that is really no excuse for the huge piles of garbage seen on roads all over Jamaica but especially in Kingston.

There can be backlog or other issues which can prevent timely pick ups but in the meantime it is best to secure the garbage so that animals can not get into the bags. The best thing is for garbage containers to have lids so that they can be secured properly.

How to have less garbage

There are a number of things that you can do to help prevent waste thereby reducing the amount of garbage in your home. For example you can take your own shopping bags when you go shopping.

I know that we are drowning in plastic why not reduce it by not taking them when you go to the supermarket?

Why not get in the habit of recycling? There are so many uses for things that people throw away.

Playgrounds can use old tires while other items such as plastic bottles can be used for decoration. There is even one company that I know that uses plastic bottles to create the base for water fountains!

We have to try new ways to tackle problems before our island becomes worse!
Let me hear from you! What are your thoughts on the issue?

Teri Ann Renee Paisley

Gleaner online writer

Tags: collection, garbage, storage