Editorial

Eye on litter

The good news: The anti-litter campaign that has involved communities, organizations and individuals throughout the region has had an impact. Because littering and efforts to eliminate it have received so much focus, our streets and neighborhoods are tidier. More people are thinking about litter and the impact it has on our lives. Organizations that adopt highways and streets are being more conscientious about their duties.

The not-so-good news: The anti-litter campaign kicked off several months ago and picked up considerable steam. Then came summer and all the activities and vacations that disrupt our routines. Then came hurricanes and other disasters that grabbed our attention. The anti-litter campaign, as might be expected, lost some of its momentum.

More good news: Despite the decreased activity, efforts continue to keep litter and all those wonderful efforts to get rid of it in the spotlight. Communities that are serious about appearances know that anti-litter campaigns last forever and involve teaching youngsters to grow up to the adults who don't litter.

One way to give the local anti-litter campaign some structure and access to national resources would be to affiliate with the well-known Keep America Beautiful organization. Keep America Beautiful has 500 affiliates and hundreds more participating organizations. Out of this effort has come many success stories.

Anti-litter volunteers are pursuing financial support for affiliation with Keep America Beautiful. Organizers hope this can be accomplished in the next few month. In the meantime, everyone has an important role to play in this campaign: Don't litter.

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