One Redditor found their peers when they posted two photos in the r/Homestead subreddit showing plastic pollution caused by their property's previous owners.
The post was titled "Removing Plastic from Dirt?" and showed lawn soil from afar and close up that was full of wispy shreds of blue and white plastic dispersed all throughout the pile. In the description, the OP expressed their frustration at discovering the remnants of what they believed to be old tarps underneath some beds of straw.
"They've since disintegrated into these little confetti shreds," they explained. "There's really good dirt under them that I would love to spread across my garden."
Such a predicament has become increasingly common as plastic pollution rears its head around the world. Its presence not only gets in the way of gardening and harms crops but has been found to pose health threats to humans and animals.
The subreddit is over three million members strong and is dedicated to homesteading issues across the board, from gardening and farming to general self-sufficiency. When it came to cleaning up the original poster's soil, the community had some tips.
"Sifting the pile through a 1 inch mesh oughta do it, maybe double or triple sift," advised a commenter.
"What were people thinking in the past?" wrote another, fed up with the practice of putting plastic in the ground.
"I have the same issue with decaying tarps," offered a fellow gardener. "I feel like they are little reminders to buy less plastic."
Cleaning up your yard, whether from previous owners or yourself, is a tangible step to take toward a safer future. Once you've looked for any pollution and addressed it to the best of your ability, rewilding your space with low-maintenance and pollinator-friendly native plants or converting it to a money-and-water-saving natural lawn are great next steps to take.
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