Picking up the trash

Picking+up+the+trash

Artemisa Hogan, Writer

Everyday, as I walk into Westside to go to my fifth period from the parking lot, there is one thing that I fail to avoid noticing every time: trash. There is trash strewn all over the school, left behind by the students who eat outside, or flutters out of the trash bins. Not only is it an unseemly sight, it also brings around some environmental consequences. However, all of this can be avoided if everyone were to make sure they picked up after themselves, and properly disposed of their waste.

Yes, Westside is your school, and no, it may not be your favorite place, but picking up after yourself is not a hard action that demonstrates basic respect for your environment and those in it. It is not the janitors job to pick up after students, they are there to make sure Westside is as bacteria free as possible. Picking up after yourself is a simple action that can make the jobs of janitors much easier and helps maintain a tidy appearance.

Picking up the trash is also helpful to the environment. Trash that gets left behind can often fall into the storm drains while rain falls (which is quite often), and later can either end up in the ocean or in water facilities. The plastic that ends up in the ocean gets broken down by UV rays into microscopic pieces that later gets ingested by the marine life. Since the plastic doesn’t get broken down after being consumed, it can often end up coming back to us in the seafood we eat. Plastic has already been discovered in some people’s bloodstream, and the consequences that may come from this are intelligible. That is why it is important to throw away waste. It’s not just about keeping up a clean appearance, but also for the health of the people and the environment.

If you already pick up after yourself, try to pickup left behind litter, such as the floating chip bag or the abandoned food tray. A small action like this could have a major impact, as it is one less contaminant in the world.