A peaceful morning walk should involve fields of grass — not fields of plastic. TikToker @eaglescliffeclp shared a short clip of a walking path covered in litter ranging from plastic bottles to food wrappers. This "before" shot shows trash on the ground every step the poster takes. Luckily, halfway through is the "after" footage, which reveals the area trash-free following a volunteer cleanup.
The video takes place in Britain. Despite the presence of trash cans, this lovely walking path has become one itself. So, it's no surprise why the OP writes: "The state of this 😞. Why do people [have] so little respect?"
@eaglescliffeclp The state of this 😞. Why do people has so little respect? #litter #flytipping #litterpicking #teesside #volunteer #keepbritaintidy ♬ original sound - ECLP
Picking up local litter is nothing new for the OP, as this video is just one example of the regular volunteer work the Eaglescliffe Community Litter Project performs. It's a volunteer group bringing together people of all ages who care for their community by cleaning up residential areas, parks, industrial land, and more. As of November 2023, the group had collected 180 bags of litter in five months.
"The litter keeps on coming, so some might say it's a pointless exercise, but the hope is that the less waste that's already on the ground, the less likely people are to think it's acceptable or normal to drop their can, bottle, or crisp packet," member Rebecca told The Northern Echo.
In the United States, the Great American Cleanup is another volunteer group. With more than 300,000 members, it leads initiatives such as the #152PickUpChallenge. So far, volunteers have collected over 23,000,000 pounds of litter.
Taking the initiative to remove trash from your community sets an example for others, keeps the area clean and beautiful, and can boost your local economy and property values. It's also a public safety practice, as trash can attract disease-spreading pests including rodents and roaches.
Unsurprisingly, there was great support in the comments.
"Seeing this kind of pollution is frustrating," one person wrote, "but your commitment shines as a call to action for everyone!"
Someone else stated: "You're doing our creators work. Thank you!"
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