There are approximately 51 billion pieces of litter scattered along U.S. roads and waterways every year. Take the approximately 347 million people currently living in America, and that’s about 147 pieces of trash per person. Think about that for a moment. It is a big job. While environmental efforts have been increasing in frequency over time, it is not enough. Simply take a walk around downtown Rochester, or even College Town. Even your hometown likely has concentrated litter hotspots. It is all around us, and it is going to take all of us to start to see change.
As a resident of Pennsylvania, I’ve lived along a highway for my entire life. No matter which highway I lived along, one common factor remains the same: excessive litter, particularly from car windows as drivers pass by. I suppose you could say I’ve always had my two cents to say about litter. While my litter crusade may have started in my hometown in Pennsylvania, it has followed me to New York.
In late October, I conducted a clean-up event of the Genesee River Trail for my Medallion Program Level 3 Project. Five UR students came out to help pick up litter with a total trash yield of two large garbage bags. It wasn’t a large-scale event, nor was it the kind of broad climate action that makes attention-grabbing headlines, but the little things like this add up over time. . It takes multiple sets of hands to put a dent in a small area, and now everyone who uses the Genesee River Trail has a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing journey now that some of the litter has been removed.
Although organizing the event required jumping through a few administrative hoops, Rochester’s city council provided all the resources we needed to make a tangible difference. If you’re passionate about the environment and keeping our surroundings litter free, I encourage you to go out and conduct your own cleanup event in Rochester! Bring your friends, advertise it to the public, and the campus community. You simply have to figure out which quadrant the area you plan to conduct the event is in, which you can find through a quick internet search, and call the number that’s listed for your quadrant. They will email you a spreadsheet which you fill out and return, and you will be all set. The city provides all of the materials for you, drops off and picks up the materials the same day at any location you need, and will even collect the litter from you at the end..
The change can start with you, and it’s only one step away. We first have to care about the environment ourselves if we want others to care, which will ideally lead to less ground and water contamination, a community more beautiful than it already is, and a healthier Earth. This planet has gifted us with so much and has taken care of us for millennia. I think it’s long past time that we, as a collective, begin to return the favor.
