Letter to litter bugs

Editor: Dear Mr. & Mrs. Litterbug and Family,
I have cause to write to you because you are indifferent to the mess you are making of our beautiful country.

Firstly, you must know that you are under a litter watch.

Even though we have an excellent garbage collection system, too many places look like the Labases. Garbage bins are strategically placed for your convenience. Use them! If none is near to you, keep your refuse until you find a suitable trash can.

Your garbage can tell the kind of person you are. It can indicate the kind of diet you eat and by extension your health. If you care about your environment, you will reuse, recycle and compost where appropriate.

You may think that your polluting habits go unnoticed. Not so. The truth is that your garbage can be used to identify you. Some items in the trash may contain your name and address. Most of those items can be shredded and composted to provide manure for your garden. Some garbage may have your fingerprints and can be used to place you at the scene of a crime. Empty bottles, cups and cans, in addition to your fingerprints may contain remnants of your saliva containing your DNA. You are well advised to wash these items and recycle them. Take this as a literal warning.

Moreover, your photo may appear on social media showing you in the act of littering. Some may have to be imprisoned to curb their littering habits. The way you keep the places where you live, work and dwell is a good indicator of your character. It is said that “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Let your environment reflect who you are.

Anthony G. Stewart, PhD