Youth mimic their role models … in action and in words.  For our youth, our civic pride, our environment, and for the respect we will instill in the million tourists who will visit our community this year, let’s get busy finding ways to keep our city clean and beautiful!  Volunteer campaigns against litter are being spurred across the country.  Let’s begin with some basic education about litter…facts that can be shared with our neighbors, our children, our students, our friends.  Education spurs understanding … understanding spurs action!

What is litter?  Litter is the most visible sign of pollution. It is anything that is left where it is not meant to be. Litter is unsightly and dangerous. It can cause injury to people and wildlife. It encourages pest animals as well as the spread of germs and disease.

Why do people litter? People who litter feel no sense of ownership or pride for the community. They believe someone else will remove it or they are too lazy to dispose of the item(s) properly. When a site is already littered, those who litter feel adding to it is “no big deal.”

How does litter impact our environment?  Litter may not be the most dramatic of the many problems that threaten the quality of our environment, but it is a problem that affects everyone in our community. Litter creates ugliness in public places, including streets, parks and waterways, and impacts real estate values. Litter can kill aquatic life and decrease oxygen levels when it decays in water. Most litter can be recycled, which not only protects the environment but saves our natural resources.

Are cigarette butts really litter?
There is much misinformation about cigarette butt litter … including the myth that cigarette filters are biodegradable. Fact: the acetate filters can take many years to decompose. Wind and rain carry cigarettes into the water supply, where the toxic chemicals the filter was designed to trap leak out into aquatic ecosystems, threatening water quality and marine life. Cigarette butts may seem small, but with several trillion butts littered every year they are the number one source of litter in counties across the nation.  Dubuque is not an ashtray!
 

As individual citizens…
•    Make sure trash is securely placed in the proper receptacle. This means putting cigarette butts in an ashtray, securing paper and other items so that they don’t blow out of vehicles and properly sealing garbage containers.
•    Recycle materials to save landfill space, energy and natural resources. Most litter is recyclable!
•    When you see litter, pick it up and throw it away … don’t just step over it. Set an example, encourage your family and friends to do the same.
•    Carry a litterbag in your vehicle or on your bicycle.
•    Volunteer for community-wide and / or neighborhood cleanups!

A “litter-free” Dubuque will increase property values and attract tourists and business. A citywide volunteer effort can create more vibrant business corridors, safer neighborhoods and a cleaner and healthier environment.  Let’s showcase our community pride as we welcome visitors to Dubuque, our Masterpiece on the Mississippi!