A recent and prevalent problem at the Faribault High School (FHS) is student littering. Aside from being dirty and unappealing to the eye, it is also destructive to the environment and illegal on all levels of government. So why do FHS students litter? What can be done to fix it? What has been done to fix it?

First off, let’s define littering. Littering, as an English word, means to leave things about in an untidy and random manner, as if haphazardly dropping them without thought. In practice though, we refer to littering as leaving garbage and rubbish without properly disposing of it, usually just throwing it to the ground. Litter, the noun of littering, is trash or debris left lying in open or public spaces. For more information about litter, check out, How Does Littering Affect the Environment?, and How Does Littering Impact the Environment.

Littering is illegal on most, if not all, levels of government, due to its destructive properties to environments and peoples’ health. Litter contributes to pollution, habitat destruction, unattractive scenery, and the spread of microplastics. Litter also promotes zoonotic diseases (the most famous of which being the bubonic plague). Litter can clog up water ways, worsening flooding and sewage issues, and litter can contaminate our water sources, taking away safe drinking water. There are multiple statutes in Minnesota that rule against littering (115A.99), defining littering as a misdemeanor (169.42, 609.68), a misdemeanor being a crime that is punishable with a sentence of 90 days, a fine of $1,000, or both (609.02).

Aside from being illegal, it’s also against school policy. SOAR, the school acronym stands for Secure, On-task, Accountable, and Respectful. It is a simple motto that everyone should live by, and that every student should strive for. Littering goes against at least three of the letters. It breaks Secure by endangering the environment and spreading disease. It breaks Accountable by showing that students can’t be counted on to dispose of their garbage. And it breaks Respectful by desecrating the school and the town we live in and implies that others are to pick up after you.

The severity of the problem was great enough that our principal, Mr. Olson, had released a Schoology update on November 7th beckoning for students to dispose of their trash, stating that “it’s not that difficult.” Place your garbage into a bin, or hold on to it until you can find one. When trash is thrown to the ground it has to be picked up by someone, and usually it’s been school staff, which is unfair. To help enforce cleanliness, Mr. Olson also stated in his Schoology update that, “we will start identifying students' cars with our cameras and meet with students.”

So why do FHS students litter when there are so many reasons not to? A portion of it could be contributed by a lack of trash bins. A tally of bins outside makes for about fourteen receptacles, seven of which are dumpsters hidden behind the school, and only one normal bin being placed near the front where easily visible and accessible. Most of the trash bins are located near the tennis court and the sports field southeast of the building; there are no bins located on the northside of the building where students are picked up and dropped off by buses. Another portion claimed by some students is mere laziness, which works in tandem with the lack of trash bins to create a scenario where some are likely to just drop their garbage on the ground. Unfortunately though, many students also say a lack of school pride is behind the litter. Many students complain of poor food, unfair/strict teachers, bullying, stressful work, and other things. This causes some students to don a mindset with little to no pride for the school, which does not do well for the littering problem. Additionally, students seemed to be more inclined to litter if an area has already been littered or destroyed in some way, causing a positive feedback loop and supporting a littering culture. The idea being, “what’s it matter if I litter? The parking lot is already full of garbage.”

To resolve this situation, a lot can simply be done by us, the students. We can break away from our mindsets and resist the temptation to just leave our trash about. We can try harder to properly dispose of our garbage, and remind others to do the same. If you catch a friend or even just a peer littering, do please confront them. Remind them of the effects of littering and what it does to our home and our health. Support a culture of cleanliness and diligence. Another helpful thing we can do is participate in clean up missions, whether it be on your own during your day-to-day routine, or in purposeful groups. An instance of such happened on November 9th.

The FHS Theatre Troupe took time during rehearsal to clean up the front parking lot, amassing several bags worth of trash and rubbish. What was more surprising than the quantity was what kind of trash was found. Among the typical litter of fast food waste, candy wrappers from Halloween, and gum wrappers, there were also an unexpected count of peculiar ‘oddities’. Such as cigarette butts, partially used vapes, an aerosol sunscreen can, a pair of holey underwear, and other, more unmentionable items. But regardless, the Theatre Troupe donned rubber gloves and picked up what they could in between rehearsal.

In conclusion, littering is unlawful and immoral, and there are countless reasons to not litter, namely state statutes, school policies, and common morals. The reasons why students litter anyways comes down to laziness and a lack of pride in combination with scarce garbage receptacles. But there is a way to turn it around; be more diligent and conscientious about your trash. Place it in the appropriate bins. And hold our fellow peers and community members responsible. The betterment of everyone starts with us.

14 November 2024 - William Houghtelin