Littering on the sidewalk seems inevitable when people are around.
Maybe you've taken it upon yourself to pick up a stray plastic bag, but some people clean up their neighborhoods as a hobby. One such individual shared before-and-after photos of their recent cleanup in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The Reddit post includes photos of streets filled with litter that are later cleared by this good Samaritan. The before-and-after photos show a much more pleasant sight — old newspapers, take-out containers, and chip bags have been picked up and disposed of properly.
The Redditor also included photos of the trash bags filled with all the litter. When we see the trash strewn about, it may not seem like a lot, but it's amazing to see how many large trash bags are filled with litter from just one neighborhood.
This Allentown resident is part of a large informal community of "detrashers" who take the initiative to clean up litter. Some people organize groups to do large-scale cleanups, but many times a single person takes a couple hours out of their day to pick up the litter in their hometown.
Litter is an eyesore, but it can also lower community morale. Litter can beget more litter, as the sight of litter gives other people the go-ahead to litter more. Trash can be a fire hazard, and it also causes a litany of environmental harms, including poisoning wildlife.
This Redditor's post serves as a reminder to take personal initiative in the health and well-being of our neighborhoods. If you see trash around, and it makes you upset, you can take it upon yourself to grab some gloves and a bag to pick it up. It's a great way to make a direct impact in your community.
One thing to keep in mind when collecting large amounts of trash at once is to make sure you properly take care of the large trash bags. One commenter asked a question about this, and the original poster replied that they often "notify their contact at the city to dispatch a crew to pick them up."
The Reddit community is showing their full support for this detrasher, praising them.
"So much nicer! Great job," one user said.
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