Some may think that litter isn't that big of an issue, however litter has a direct impact on the health of our environment and community.

• Litter and debris attract rodents and insects to the area which leads to the spread of disease.
• Old spare tires can fill with water, creating a breeding ground for misquitos.
• Lit cigarettes can easily spark large fires, placing the community in danger.
• Littered glass can become very dangerous to children and animals in the area.
• Small packages are easy for animals to try to consume and choke on or be poisoned by.
• Cigarette butts are also toxic to small children and animals.
• Billions of dollars of tax payers money goes to cleaning up litter each year, think about how else we could use that money to benefit our communities.

A large problem we don't often think about is the huge amount of waste that we produce. The average American produces about 4 pounds of waste a day! Below are tips on how to reduce the amount of waste you create.

• Learn to compost at home! It is super simple and can make your flower bed happier and healthier! It is as simple as throwing that banana peel into a compost bucket instead of the trash can. Here's a link with some more infromation on composting -> https://www.epa.gov/recycle/composting-home
• Spring cleaning? Instead of throwing anything away, first see if you can donate your items or even hold a garage sale. One mans trash is another man's treasure!
• When cleaning the house, try to use reusable cloths, mops, sponges, and rags. Each paper towel contributes to the waste we produce.
• BUY GREEN! While recycling everything you can is very important, recycling is a market and depends on you to buy products made from recycled materials. Check labels for the words "Made from post-consumer materials".