By Leigh Currey Merrifield
I was enjoying a pleasant drive to Fairmont on a recent sunny Sunday afternoon, and rather than travel the fast-paced interstate, we headed there by way of Manley Chapel Road. Not in a hurry, we reveled in viewing the landscape on this back road, which was beginning to turn green in all directions. What a stunning sight!
However, when my eyes looked down nearer the edge of the road, I was in disbelief, seeing nothing but mounds of litter. There was everything from glass bottles to cans to plastic cups, paper bags, take-out containers and God knows what else! It was a visual catastrophe! I’m sure it was more convenient to put down the window and simply toss their trash; after all, it kept their vehicles’ interiors clean … but all this debris showed a lack of respect. Would it be so difficult to keep a small trash can or even a grocery bag in the backseat and take it home for proper disposal?
Here is some ‘food for thought’ – I understand our state’s tourism industry had a record-breaking $9 BILLION economic impact in 2024-25 with over 77 million annual visitors. They come here to enjoy numerous outdoor adventures and recreation, visit our parks and resorts, and appreciate out state’s scenic beauty. Tourism also brings in a lot of tax revenue and supports nearly 61,000 jobs. We should be very pleased by our state’s popularity as a tourist destination and do everything we can to promote that. Unfortunately, when our visitors view how carelessly we feel about tossing our trash along our roadways, that is not among the memorable features we want them to take back home.
I’m sure we’re all aware that it is unlawful to litter, but since we rarely hear of folks being penalized for breaking this law, those responsible just hurl it out the window without a care in the world!
I did some research and learned that police actually have to witness the litterers in the act so they have the evidence to issue a citation, which probably doesn’t happen often … and of course this is not a high priority compared to catching violent criminals. But it’s shameful that annually, litter contributes to nearly 10.3 BILLION litter items lying adjacent to U.S. roadways!
Most of us are proud that our state is also known as “Almost Heaven”, but apparently some folks don’t take pride in that or they wouldn’t thoughtlessly pitch their trash with no regard to its visibility to passersby. Are they just lazy, or who knows, maybe that’s how they live at home!???
It is also unlawful to throw trash on private property, but I had somewhat of an experience with that! I noticed a cap on one of my fenceposts was askew one day (following a home football game the night before) and walked out to adjust it to prevent the wind from perhaps carrying it away. As I lifted it to put it back in place, I saw that someone had actually removed the cap, stuffed their trash into the hollow fencepost and put the cap back on without pushing it down firmly. I guess the culprit felt that was a step above throwing the trash in my yard??? Still, it was discourteous.
Speaking of football games, I often babysit my granddog and walk him above the Lincoln football field (on the home side). You’d be surprised at the shameful amount of trash heaped under the bleachers! I spoke to one of the school administrators who said they are having trouble finding someone willing to tackle this huge cleanup; however, finding an option to correct this is a priority topping their list! Lincoln has a huge supportive following, and the stadium is typically full of fans for football games. That being said, it is hard to understand why they are so disrespectful when it comes to their team’s stadium facility. There ARE PLENTY of trash barrels on the premises; WHY NOT USE THEM, FOLKS?
Trash is more than just an environmental pollutant; it is visual pollution as well, detracting from our state’s natural beauty and negatively impacting tourism. Just some ‘food for thought’ to consider before you litter.
Quote of the week: “To leave the world better than you found it, sometimes you have to pick up other people’s trash.” – Bill Nye
