One homeowner in Goa, India, recently took to the state's subreddit to complain about a rude neighbor and ask for advice on handling the situation.
"The adjacent property to mine is rented by a company who manufacture stuff for gardens. Since the last few months they've been throwing their garbage over the back wall and it's really a terrible eye sore now," the original poster wrote. "My guess is they are having issues with collection due to being a commercial operation rather than falling under the general domestic collection."
In the photo they included, several bags of plastic trash can be seen in the wooded area behind the wall.
"Since I took the picture there is actually a huge amount more garbage," the OP added.
Most commenters weren't sure where to take the complaint, although one suggested calling the Forest Department.
Others felt similarly helpless as witnesses to the abundant littering in the area. "I have seen so many kids just throw chips packets and cold drink bottles out of [windows]," one Redditor said.
Whether it's tossing a cup in the street or illegally dumping a truck's worth of chemicals and trash in a protected area, leaving garbage where it's not supposed to be is more than rude behavior. It can pose a threat to public health and safety as well as the economy.
As trash sits in nature, it slowly degrades and leaches contaminants into the environment. These contaminants can include microplastics and chemicals used in manufacturing, which make their way into the surrounding water, soil, and air.
Animals can ingest litter by mistake, misidentifying it as food, which can result in deadly intestinal blockages. They can also become trapped or entangled in garbage, particularly in the ocean. Additionally, trash can serve as a breeding ground for bacteria and disease-carrying pests such as mosquitoes.
The unsightly appearance can also lead to less foot traffic, harming areas with tourism economies.
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No way 👎 While many regions rely on individuals to properly dispose of and recycle items, some places are getting creative in their strategies. For example, San Antonio recently installed two floating barriers in its waterways to collect garbage from floating downstream, and one group is working on a robotic dog that could pick up toxic cigarette butts.
For now, however, it's up to individuals to dispose of their trash — and it's up to governments to hold people and companies accountable for their harmful actions.
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