Stewardship
Not all cleanups are messy, but when they are, volunteers don't mind getting a little bit dirty, OK, sometimes really dirty. The end result makes it all worthwhile.
Some of the trash we and our community friends collect is very big, sometimes very small. But we all know every effort, no matter the size, makes a difference.
We can all help reduce the trash in our environment. Reduce, recycle, reuse, repurpose. Reduce the use of plastics and single-use containers. Recycle what you can; paper, aluminum, glass, plastic. Use refillable beverage containers and reusable shopping bags; not only is it cleaner, it's cheaper. Repurpose what you can to decrease the amount of trash added to landfills.
Microplastics are now found in the air we breathe, in the soil, and in the water we drink. It takes an estimated 450 years for plastic to decompose in a landfill. Plastics are responsible for the death of over 1 million marine animals yearly. This does not include birds and land animals that die due to our carelessness. We can do better.