Encountering trash in public spaces is never appealing, but for one parent, finding it on his kids' brand-new playground was too much to handle.
He posted about it on Reddit, writing: "This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things."
"I took my wife and 2 young kids to the new playground," he explained. "It's already full of beer cans, litter, bags, disposable vapes, and someone's had a fire under the wooden structure. Why do we wreck our own city so much?"
And while they cleaned up what they could, fellow commenters shared in the frustration that it would likely just get trashed again.
"Such a shame," one person lamented.
"This is absolutely disgusting," another Redditor vented.
Others shared their own horror stories. "My toddler ran through a load of broken glass at a kids playground in a park today," one said, and "picked up a vape that someone chucked right next to the kids play equipment a few weeks ago. We literally can't let our child run round a public park any more because we're afraid he'll hurt himself on something."
Another added: "The amount of times I've seen people litter by just throwing their rubbish out of a moving car in broad daylight is pretty shocking."
Obviously, litter poses immediate threats to public health — particularly the sharp edges of cans and broken glass — but there are also long-term dangers when it comes to garbage.
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Discarded trash serves as a breeding ground for bacteria, diseases, and even other pests that carry disease, like mosquitoes. Considering that many items that are littered — such as plastic bags and food wrappers — are made primarily from plastic and other synthetic materials, they contaminate the environment as they slowly degrade. This is one way that microplastics and chemicals find their way into soil, water, and air, where they eventually trickle into the food chain. In fact, microplastics have already been found inside human and animal bodies.
And while doing a park pickup like the original poster did is great, it's important to raise awareness for the importance of collective action when it comes to keeping shared spaces clean. After all, whether it's a hiking trail, a campsite, or a playground, the best way to keep nature natural is to not litter in the first place — and cultivating a mindset of respect toward our environment is key to that.
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