Is litter like murder? Not exactly but it is worse than you probably think. This photo was taken at a garage in Wied Iż-Żurrieq where paint, iron, wood, plastic bags, etc. litter the place.

The inhalation of paint puts lead and mercury in your system and the fumes get stuck in the lungs. It kills the sense of smell and leads to memory loss.

Of course, the environmental effects of litter are well known. Trash in the streets gets blown into the sewer system. It clogs up the sewers and waterways or flows out into bays and estuaries. Chemicals and toxins from plastic bottles leech into water systems. Animals get tangled in six-pack rings, cut on jagged metal or broken glass and get stuck inside containers.

When food waste is thrown away from a vehicle, it attracts animals to the road, leading them into a traffic death trap, apart from the possibility of damaging your car. Littered open containers hold water, which is a great breeding place for mosquitoes.

In my research, I have discovered different economic effects from litter too.

Anyone can help by picking up litter when they see it, assuming responsibility for maintaining the area around where they live clean, keeping a trash bag in their car so that trash would not find its way onto the road, and much more.

So let’s get shoulder to shoulder and help ensure a cleaner and safer environment.