By: Deborah Adesipo
April 9, 2025
In North Philadelphia behind the Carver building, an empty lot was found filled with trash on March 23,2025.
Trash is found on almost every corner of North Philadelphia. This can affect people’s brains and mental states. Some may overlook littering like it’s nothing and doesn’t affect them, but that’s not true. Plastic exposure can affect your mental health and can lead to stress, anxiety, and even depression.
“So many! spread of infectious diseases, groundwater contamination that would link to many health issues, wildlife impacts, and soil pollution.
This is some, and not to forget the mental toll that pollution puts on us including stress, anxiety, and depression” said Mr.Latchford, Environmental Science teacher at E&S.
Some students look at their surroundings and get jealous of other places like the suburbs where their surroundings are clean and the quality of their environment is so much better than their own.
“You see other neighborhoods, like in the suburbs and stuff, you feel a little, you know, jealous you might, but it's like it is what it is.” Isaiah, E&S student said.
Some students have grown accustomed to the dirty environment and don’t pay the litter any mind.
“We’re just so used to it. I feel like it doesn’t affect people as much as it affects other people that are worried about it, but it’s like, I feel like everybody’s so used to it, it doesn’t even affect people for real” said Isaiah, a student in North Philly.
According to the School Climate Survey, there is a correlation between academic performance and the quality of our environment. Students are chronically absent because of neighborhood factors such as the index of industrial air pollution, demographics, crime, and poverty. They have found that proficiency in their Reading and Math decreased by 1%.
Littering releases toxic emissions when it's burned or when it decomposes, which makes our air quality worse. Dasola says the “plastic that my neighbors throw away on the floor, affects the air quality, and the air quality has declined over the years, so it's harder to play outside.”
When some students commute to school via SEPTA transportation and see the amount of trash, they feel heartbroken. When trash is everywhere, it creates unpleasant and filthy surroundings.
A sign in Northeast Philadelphia tells people when they walk past to not litter.
Dasola Akinboro, a resident in North Philadelphia, says “ trash affects my daily life, I go to the Septa stop and I’m always seeing trash everywhere it’s so disgusting because I have to go there every day to get to places.”
There are many things we can implement in our school to improve our environment, such as spreading awareness of this issue or picking up trash as a community.
Mr.Latchford, an Environmental Science teacher, says that we can make educational and awareness campaigns that promote cleanliness and hygiene. Maybe also trying to enhance community partnerships. We need students and staff to buy in, it has to matter to the community members that we work in a safe and clean environment.
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