For some of us, neighbors can be a steady part of our community. While some are regulars at yearly holiday parties or someone to call if you forgot to buy flour, others can be a huge pain.
In a Reddit post on the subreddit r/homeowners, a user shared how the people we live near can intrude on our desire to protect the planet.
"I purchased my home a little over 5 years ago and I have one neighbor who's trash I have been picking up out of my yard ever since," the user explained. "This is an almost daily issue and I want it to stop," they added.
The user elaborated that the neighbor mostly threw items straight into the garbage can without trash bags, and when he did use trash bags, they were untied. In turn, every time a heavy wind came through, trash was strewn everywhere.
"When I mention that this has been a problem for 5 years, he just huffs and walks away," the user added.
Others have shared their own neighborhood horror stories. One person reported that the person next door to them was spraying herbicides through a shared fence. The stories go on and on: From burning trash to cutting down native plant gardens, taking care of the planet can be impeded by a problematic neighbor.
An article by Today gives some guidelines for dealing with complicated neighbor dynamics, which starts with clear communication and boundaries, and escalation to legal actions in dire circumstances.
If you're lucky enough to have neighbors with a listening ear, you can try educating them on climate issues, such as the impact of litter on the planet.
The Reddit poster asked fellow homeowners for advice, saying, "We live in an HOA, but I didn't see anything in the rules about this type of thing specifically. Is there anything I can do to try and get this to stop?"
Commenters on the post shared suggestions for dealing with the local litter bug.
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Mowing the lawn 🏡 "Since you have an HOA, go to them first and make a complaint, see if they take action, if not involve the police!" the user advised. "Littering is a crime, and they should be held responsible for it!" they added.
Another person added, "I've been picking up trash everywhere my whole life. … Can't really make people care. But I still do."
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