Living in a city can be both exciting and hectic. It’s full of life, but it can also be dirty, dull, or just plain dangerous. The best way to avoid the negatives is by maintaining your neighborhood with these ten easy tips!
- 1. Drop Litter in a Trash Can, Not on the Ground
- 2. Bring Reusable Bags to the Grocery Store
- 3. Clean Up After Your Pet
- 4. Don’t Spill While Eating Outdoors
- 5. Don’t Throw Cigarette Butts on the Ground
- 6. Don’t Drive Carelessly on Your Block
- 7. Use Recycled Products When You Can
- 8. Don’t Pollute the Water
- 9. Keep the Streets Clean
- 10. Keep Your Block Safe and Secure
1. Drop Litter in a Trash Can, Not on the Ground
The easiest way to keep your neighborhood clean is by disposing of any litter you might have before going somewhere else. If you drop some food waste or a bottle on the sidewalk, pick it up and throw it away immediately!
Make sure you throw it into a trashcan with a lid. That way, animals won’t get at it and make a mess themselves.
2. Bring Reusable Bags to the Grocery Store
This one is pretty simple: don’t forget your reusable bags when going shopping! Using plastic bags creates more waste that will end up on the street or in the water, either breaking down into small pieces or floating around until an animal eats them (which can kill them or make them sick).
Instead, bring your own bags (or better yet, a cart) to the store and use them over and over again.
3. Clean Up After Your Pet
If you have a pet, make sure to clean up after it when you walk through the neighborhood! Most people aren’t keen on stepping in dog droppings or cat litter because they can spread germs like salmonella.
Not only that, but animals will dig around in the waste if they smell something good to eat. There are many products available for this problem — just ask at your local store!
4. Don’t Spill While Eating Outdoors
Even if you’re having fun with friends while eating outside, don’t make a mess! Don’t leave any trash on your table or nearby — take it with you and throw it away at home.
For trash like napkins and food scraps, make sure to either pick them up and dispose of them properly (or ask someone nearby to do so) or put them in the provided wastebaskets.
5. Don’t Throw Cigarette Butts on the Ground
Remember how we talked about animals getting sick from eating litter? Well, a common culprit is cigarette butts. They’re small, and they burn out quickly, but don’t throw them onto the street or sidewalk!
Even if you don’t smoke, there might be someone around who does — and they might have dropped their cigarette without noticing.
6. Don’t Drive Carelessly on Your Block
Driving your car on the street is fine, but don’t do it carelessly! Don’t speed or drive erratically — you’ll just make a mess on the road, and people probably won’t be happy about it.
If somebody sees you acting recklessly while driving, ask them to call the police to hold bad drivers accountable for their actions.
7. Use Recycled Products When You Can
Try to use recycled products while maintaining your neighborhood clean as much as possible! Biodegradable products are made from organic materials (like plants) and can decompose in soil naturally when done correctly.
If you’re building a house, make sure to use products like bricks and wood that can disappear without harming the environment. Plastic should only be used when necessary (i.e., recycling, transportation) because it never fully decomposes — not even photodegradable plastic!
8. Don’t Pollute the Water
There are many ways to hurt animals and plants in your neighborhood by polluting the water. Oil leaks and other chemicals can ruin aquatic animals’ habitats and threaten their lives since they’ll either get stuck in it or absorb the toxins.
Ensure you wash away any excess oil from your vehicle at a car wash so that it doesn’t contaminate the earth!
9. Keep the Streets Clean
If you want to keep your neighborhood clean, ensure that the street is swept regularly. If it isn’t, debris will start piling up along the sidewalk and in gutters — especially during spring or autumn!
You may have heard of litterbugs, but there are also leaf bugs that could ruin parts of your town if they’re not taken care of. So contact the municipality street sweeping service and ask them to sweep your street at least once a month!
10. Keep Your Block Safe and Secure
Last but not least, keeping your block safe and secure is an important part of keeping our town clean. You can do this by reporting any suspicious activity or unattended garbage to the police (i.e., kids smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol).
Also, make sure that there’s no graffiti on public property such as walls, sidewalks, and bus stops — it only takes a few minutes to paint over it with water and soap! If you notice that somebody else has already done so, thank them for helping out!
It’s not hard to take care of our environment and keep our neighborhoods clean — we just have to be mindful of the things that we do. By following these ten tips, you’ll be able to explore your community while helping to make it a better place!
