ETSU’s campus is one that attracts students from across the country because of its beauty, but lately there has been a problem that affects that beauty. That problem is littering.
“I noticed it as soon as move in came in,” EcoNuts representative Millie Holliday said. “I walk from my apartment, because I only live a mile away from campus, and so I see everything. I go all over campus all the time, and there’s litter everywhere.”
Holliday said that litter is more common when there are big events on campus, like Welcome Week or the Farmers Market.
“Whenever we have the Farmers Market, we have multiple trash cans at the Farmers Market,” Holliday said. “The problem is people just shove and shove and shove their food and waste into the waste bins until they’re overflowing. Then they keep doing it. There’s garbage literally all over the trash cans, when a few yards away there’s another one that’s empty. It’s ridiculous.”
Holliday said that by doing things like that, it affects the environment.
“The garbage moves into a creek or a public drain,” Holliday said, “which leads to water systems, which leads to the ocean. And now we’re seeing these huge islands of plastic the size of Texas which is absolutely insane.”
Holliday said that during her time at ETSU, she has seen the littering problem on campus get worse.
“In the three years I’ve gone to school here, this is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” Holliday said. “When I’m walking to class, especially through the parking lots, there’s litter everywhere.”
ETSU students can help combat the littering problem by doing simple things.
“It’s really easy,” Holliday said. “Just talk to your friends. If you see them littering just say like, ‘Hey that’s not cool, that’s bad for the environment.’ It’s just really simple, don’t litter yourself and practice what you preach, and preach what you practice.”
