Passerby shares photo of shocking scene under balcony: 'This is just corruption'

A tourist was distressed about what they were seeing in their host country. They took to the community at r/tunisia for answers. 

"I'm a repeat visitor to Tunisia as it is a jaw dropping country rich in history and the people are very friendly," wrote the original poster. "But I'm troubled by the care free attitude I witness in respect to littering and waste. Can I ask why its such an issue in Tunisia and what can Tourists do to help this??"

The poster included a photo shot from their balcony of a neighboring lot covered in litter. 

Trash strewn about is more than just an eyesore. 

In this instance, the littered area is by a forest. The trash's close proximity to a natural habitat makes it likely that wildlife will go sniffing around the trash for food. This usually results in animals clogging up their digestive tracts with plastic, which can harm them and lead to death. 

Animals aren't the only ones hurt from littering. 

More complex waste can include harmful substances like PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." These substances can leach into local water supplies and pose a direct threat to human health. During one instance of PFAS pollution in Canada, the government knew it was happening in 2012 but didn't say anything to the public until 2017.

Recycling and minimizing your use of plastic when possible can minimize this kind of pollution. You can even multiply your impact by advocating for companies to use less plastic on your own or with others. Staying informed when information about pollution is available can help hold organizations accountable as well.

The Reddit community had a number of perspectives on the littering problem in Tunisia. 

"This is just corruption and a government that lacks resources to hire enough people and to give them proper equipment to clean up," wrote one commenter. 

Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely 👍 Only in some areas 🫤 Not really 👎 I'm not sure 🤷 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Others weren't so sure about that.

"People love to blame the lack of public bins or point fingers at the government, the council, or any official body really, anything but taking personal responsibility," replied another. "There's a complete lack of awareness about the environment and how this behaviour affects not just public spaces, but the country's image and the future of generations to come."

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