We Should Stop Having Trash Cleanups
- Jessica Ruppert
- Jul 22
- 4 min read
Life is messy. Things are complicated. The idea of “one size fits all” or a magic pill intrigues us all. You mean I can wave this wand and life will be “perfect”? I’m in! I think, deep down, we all know this is just fantasy. Problems, especially complex problems, require multiple solutions to resolve.
When I have talked to people, or read about their experiences, regarding trash cleanups, they say they feel a sense of pride; they feel connected to their community; they feel they are doing something good for the environment. I have even heard, on multiple occasions, people feeling disappointed when they participated in a creek cleanup where there was not enough trash for them to collect (a baffling sentiment). And while it is true that these events are wonderful ways to connect with other caring people in our community, get outside with friends and family, and feel like we are making a difference for our non-human community members, I would argue that we are stopping short— We are seeing the problem as the trash on the ground so the solution is to pick it up. But, is it?
Why is there trash on the ground? People discard items, and the easiest way is to just drop it where they are. The unhoused population accumulate what little they can. This ends up being a lot of, what the rest of the community might consider, trash. Sometimes the answer is the weather. Wind blows debris out of bins. Our trash collection is inefficient. When bins are being emptied into trucks, not all the trash makes it into the truck. When the truck dumps the trash at the landfill, some of it gets blown or washed away to storm drains. There are many ways for trash to end up on the ground. But, are we looking deep enough yet?
Why is there so much trash? I think this is getting closer to the root of what the true problem is. Just the other night, I opened a new jar of white pepper. I unscrewed the plastic lid on the glass bottle and there was a shrink wrap clear plastic on the plastic sprinkle cap, under which was the normal mixed media “safety seal” (glass, paper, metal, and plastic). Really? Is all of this necessary? The short answer is, NO. Packaging alone is a massive source of waste in the United States.
In theory, any plastic can be recycled. Of course, we consumers now know that this is not exactly true due to lack of infrastructure and the expense for some plastics to be recycled. Only “high quality” plastics actually get recycled, the rest of what we put in the recycle bin goes to the landfill. The other problem with packaging is that a lot of it is not made of just one material. Think of your chip bag, granola or candy bar wrapper; they have that squeaky crinkly trait like plastic, but it's not see-through, and it's got a silver shine. That's because these wrappers are made of both plastic and metal foil that has been combined together. Once materials have been fused together, they are no longer recyclable.
Even worse, we wrap EVERYTHING. Even a broom will have some sort of packaging whose only purpose is to provide the manufacturer a spot to place their logo. When we think about our pollution problem, it's not just what we see on the ground; it's not just what we are buying at the store. Packaging is also a good that has to be produced. Like any other good, producing packaging requires resources, water, and energy. So while packaging is often pollution, producing packaging also creates pollution.
So what’s the solution? Well, first of all, I would correct that question to be phrased, “what are the solutions?” This is a Big and Complicated problem. And, as mentioned previously, there is not one solution that will “fix” everything. A good starting point is legislation. We need our politicians to tell the fossil fuel industry/plastic industry (same people) that we are done with the exponential growth of plastics production. We are not only done with the growth, but we need to scale WAY back! Not only do we need to scale back, we need the fossil fuel industry to pay for cleanup, collection, recycling, etc. These types of laws are called Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as it takes the financial burden off of the tax payers and our governments, and places it back on the industry that created the problem. One example of EPR legislation in action in California is the Pharmaceutical and Sharps Waste Stewardship Program. California requires Big Pharma to pay for collection and disposal of expired and unneeded prescription drugs and sharps. (You can learn more about California EPR programs on the CalRecycle website.)
In the meantime, yes, please, let's continue to conduct our much needed trash cleanups! Let's think twice before we buy. Do I need this item? Can I get it without the packaging? Support local! Bring your own bags! And let's also talk to our City, County, and State reps about EPR laws. Maybe one day there will be no trash on the ground to pick-up, and we can all come together for more happy reasons out on the creek trail.
Helpful resources:
How Does Plastic End Up in the Ocean? - World Wildlife Fund
Containers and Packaging: Product-Specific Data - United States Environmental Protection Agency
What Are Candy Wrappers Made Of? - Shifty Chevre
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