Benefits of Trash Pick-Up
The roar of garbage trucks and wafts of scent are familiar sounds in New York City, where residents put their trash out three times a week. Until recently, private carting companies handled commercial waste, while city sanitation workers took residential garbage.
Many other cities provide incentives for households to generate less waste. For example, some cities let householders choose their bin size, while others charge a flat monthly fee that varies by residence type. Read on to learn more.
1. Enhances Your Environment
Trash and litter feed populations of pests that damage property, degrade housing, contaminate food, and spread disease. It also contributes to poor health and low quality of life for those living in the most contaminated areas.
Many communities rely on a system that encourages residents to generate less trash, called PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw). Residents set out their garbage at a fixed time of day and are charged based on the size of their cart or bag. Residents are incentivized to choose a smaller bin or reduce the number of trash bags they generate, saving money for municipalities and encouraging recycling and composting.
Volunteering for a community cleanup program is another way to help reduce the strain on natural resources. It’s a chance to get outdoors, enhance the environment, and connect with others who share your love of nature. Studies show that engaging in a good cause enhances mental health and self-worth. Every piece of trash picked up is a step towards a cleaner world.
2. Improves Your Mental Health
A blighted environment isn’t just ugly to look at; it can negatively impact your mental health and well-being. Even walking past a littered area can increase your stress levels, and research shows that it can lead to a rise in heart rate and blood pressure.
Luckily, litter picking can help reduce these negative effects on your mental health. It’s an easy, accessible way to make a difference, and you can do it wherever you are. It’s a great family activity, a team bonding activity for work, or something you can do on your own during your lunch break.
A recent study found that removing trash from vacant lots and planting trees improved residents’ moods. Using the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, participants who lived near the greening or trash cleanup intervention reported feeling less depressed than those who didn’t live near these improvements. This effect was more pronounced in neighborhoods below the poverty line.
3. Helps You Stay Healthy
Trash can produce bacteria, odor, and insects. It can also degrade housing, contaminate food, and trigger asthma and other health issues. It is important to keep garbage areas clean and regularly remove trash and recycle carts from the waste area. Trash pick-up helps keep our community safe and healthy.
Tightly bagged trash and regular cleaning of the waste area can reduce odor and minimize insect infestations around your garbage container in 43528. It is also important to place all containers out for collection for service by 5 p.m. the night before or by 7 a.m. on your trash or recycling collection day.
If you have a large volume of waste such as after cleaning out your basement, or garage, or after moving, schedule an extra trash pickup. Each household is allowed three Special Bulk Volume Pickups per year.
4. Makes You Feel Good
Picking up trash is one of the simplest things you can do to positively impact your environment. It’s something just about anyone can do, and it’s free. It also makes you feel good and can help improve your mental health. Plus, it’s a lot of fun! Get a group of friends together and have a laugh picking up litter. Make up stories about how the garbage got there, or just enjoy the fresh air and beautiful surroundings. Check this out!
