A keen hiker has been left stunned by the sheer amount of trash they find while out and about, and they've been inspired to do something about it.
Pepper (@pepper.steps) takes a few plastic trash bags when they hit the trails or go for a jog, with the aim of eventually picking up 83 pounds of trash from the side of a country road.
They landed on that number after pledging in a November post to pick up one pound of trash for every 100 followers they earned during the next week.
In one video, Pepper managed to pick up 16.94 pounds of trash from the side of a country road.
The tree-lined road would be idyllic if not for the traffic, and Pepper was baffled as to why anyone would consider dropping trash in an area that is bursting with life and natural vibrancy.
"Why do you think you're better than everyone else and that the rules don't apply to you?" they said in the video, calling out litterbugs.
Thankfully, plenty of people, including Pepper, have taken it upon themselves to be environmental stewards, cleaning up ecosystems for the benefit of plants, animals, and the humans who visit.
Consider the future of a discarded plastic bottle. That piece of trash won't degrade for centuries (if ever), and in all the time that it spends in the outside world, it will shed microplastics. These harmful flakes can then end up in the bodies of animals, make their way to water sources, and negatively impact soil quality.
Eventually, they will probably end up inside humans, where they have been found to result in a number of troubling health conditions, including dementia and respiratory issues.
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Should tourists be responsible for cleaning up their own trash? Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Absolutely 👏 Meanwhile, larger pieces of plastic might be ingested by animals that mistake them for food, creating a choking hazard or starving the creature from the inside.
While picking up trash might seem like an arduous task, Pepper looks on the bright side.
"Honestly, when I started this challenge, I didn't think that picking up trash would be as satisfying and as fun as it is," they said. "I encourage it."
Commenters were grateful for Pepper and in awe of their efforts to make the world a better place. Pepper perhaps encouraged people to take local action of their own.
"I love you forest cleaning lady that tells me tree facts," one person said.
"We absolutely love you!" added another.
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