No one appreciates trash in our outdoor places. Not only is trash unsightly it can also be a hazard to wildlife.
Fishing line entangles birds and other critters. Newer florocarbon lines take hundreds of years to degrade. Pick it up and recycle line at your local sporting goods stores.
Bait containers Worm tubs, Powerbait jars, and other containers are often floating around our fishing holes. It takes just a moment to pick them up.
Bottles Who would have thought plastic bottles would end up everywhere. Back in the day we carried our water and drinks in a canteen. Microplastics are now everywhere thanks to these slow decaying plastic drink bottles.
Appliances Old washers, refrigerators, and other machines end up in our ditches. Many of the recycling companies will pay for this scrap.
Aluminum Cans beer and soda cans are often tossed out the window when empty. The magnum hard ice teas and other sport drinks are common along roadways. Drunks, sipping a “roady” on the way home from work, do not want the evidence of their drinking inside their ride, in case they get pulled over. Each can has a recycling value. They are easy to smash and sell.
Paper Most paper will eventually degrade more quickly than other trash. It spreads easily from wind and water.
Organics food scraps, fish and critter guts, feces, and other organic wastes are smelly, attract scavengers and insects, and spread disease. Carry your trash out or bury it.
Open Spaces belong to everyone. Why do some people leave their trash? When you go to a diner, or restaurant, the table has been cleaned for the next customer. Do the same outdoors.
Chemicals Old engine oil, paints, insecticides, and other un natural chemicals can ruin an ecosystem, kill critters and make people and pet’s sick. Poisons will kill. There are proper and healthy ways to dispose of these toxins.
Litterbugs are LAZY! They simply have no respect for others or the environment. Like Pig Pen, the Charlie Brown cartoon character, they leave a trail of trash and mess. Others have to deal with their mess.
Good Samaritans are appreciated by others, as they pick up trash that is not theirs. It sets a good example for others.
If you can carry it in, carry it out! What’s the big deal? If you find other trash, pick it up and dispose of it properly. High water often floods our watersheds with trash. If you find it offensive, pick it up.
Carry a couple old grocery store bags in your vest or tackle box. If you see trash, use the bags for collection and disposal.
Cellphones have great cameras on them that can be used to document local dump sites and people that are responsible. Report these violations.
Spring cleaning often leads to an increase in roadside dumpsites. Instead of going to a landfill, they find a ditch or vacant lot. Many local landfills are free, but litterbugs are just lazy.
Landowners appreciate guests picking up trash and helping them care for other natural resources.
Always leave your special campsites and outdoor places better than you find them.
Montana Grant
