Dear Editor,
I have been moved to write about the litter on our streets in Richmond. I have been walking for just over an hour several days a week and have been incensed by the amount of litter I see.
Recently I’ve started to take a bag with me to pick up the litter and in just that short amount of time the bag is full.
I’m picking up masks, hand wipes, cigarette packages, chip bags, plastic bags, lots of paper receipts- which surprised me and of course fast food wrappers. I’m totally frustrated by the amount of cigarette butts I see too.
As I walk it’s got me thinking a lot about why these items are on the ground making our beautiful environment not so beautiful.
All these items belonged to someone and have been handled by someone before they were dropped.
Why can’t those items be taken home and disposed of there or placed in one of the many garbage cans provided by the Municipality.
Why do smokers seem to think that they don’t own the butt as well?
No, it’s not the municipal worker’s job to pick up every scrap of litter, in my opinion, it’s a civic duty of us all to be responsible for our belongings/litter and to dispose of it in the proper way.
The hiking code of conduct is to take only photographs and leave only footprints. In my world, this applies to anywhere so please everyone, be more mindful of your litter.
Jane Pratt
Richmond