Taking Action and Getting Involved
Individuals
- Think before you let the next piece of litter get out of hand.
- Remind yourself that not littering may be one small action, but it's something you can do and small actions do add up.
- Do a litter check of how you live. A lot of litter happens by accident, passively.
- Are your trash cans securely closed?
- Check that your truck bed is empty or the load is covered before you drive.
- If you have a boat, make sure all loose items (bait containers, food wrappers, etc.) are out of it before you haul it home.
- When you're outdoors and throw something into a trash can, make sure the can isn't too full. (You can always take it home and throw it away later).
- Do you have a trash bag handy in your car? Make it easy for yourself to not litter.
- Do you choose to buy things that are easier to recycle? (They have less packaging, few non-biodegradable containers?) Companies respond to what consumers buy, so every time you buy, you're sending a message back to the companies about how to package a product.
- If you see someone you know litter, remind them that they dropped something. (Friends don't let friends litter.)
- Report any illegal trash dumps to the Department of Natural Resources at: http://www.dnr.mo.gov/concern.htm
- Talk to your friends and family about the dream of a litter-free landscape and ask them to talk to their friends.
- Ask your school, business or community to focus on the litter-free dream through events and awareness efforts
Schools
- Does your school promote a litter-free environment?
- Are there plenty of trash cans where they're needed?
- Do students learn about the hazards of litter and what they can do to prevent it?
- Elementary school teachers can receive individual award certificates for their students if they complete the following with an entire class:
- Create art that promotes a litter-free living.
- Have students sign pledges to support litter-free living.
- Write about the benefits of being litter free.
- Do research on why friends or family litter and chart the results as a class. (For instance, have them ask friends and family whether they have littered in the past week, month or year and why they chose to litter or not.)
- Make trash bags for cars.
Communities
- Do you have awareness efforts in the form of signs, public service messages on local access channels?
- Do you host litter-free events?
- Is recycling available and promoted?
- Have you done a litter analysis of how much and where the litter is in your community?
Businesses
- Do you promote litter awareness and recycling?
- Do you encourage litter-free living for your employees?
- Do you provide and maintain trash receptacles in strategic locations for your customers?
- Do you support litter awareness efforts in your community?
Things you can get or buy for you or your organization to help spread the word.
