Wherever you go in Anguilla, it is there. On beaches, in neighbourhoods, ponds, schoolyards, around homes and business places – just about anywhere you can imagine, and even places you cannot imagine. It is our dirty little “not so secret” secret. Yes, Anguilla, tranquility wrapped in blue, has a litter problem. Both residents and visitors have taken notice of it and some residents have organized clean up campaigns in communities and on an island-wide basis. But sure enough, within a few days the areas that are cleaned are back to their shamefully dirty state. I have met several persons who lament about the fact that many people living in Anguilla give so little thought to the environment that they litter recklessly. How many times have you driven behind people and seen them throw something out their window? How many times have you seen people with a drink and when they are finished they simply drop the container on the ground? I am sure you have made a similar observation of people eating from takeout containers. How many locations have you noticed where people habitually dump garbage as if they own a private dumping site?
I often wonder if littering is so ingrained in us that we do not even give conscious thought to our actions. Is it that we do not care, or is it that we believe someone else will come after us and clean up? As cliché as it may sound, all of us have a responsibility to keep Anguilla clean. Rather than looking to others to address this issue, we need to each do our part every single day by the choices we make. Do we really need to wait until the next cleanup campaign to move that relic vehicle from our yard, or move the garbage right outside our fence? How many times must we hear “make Anguilla glitter, don’t litter” before we remember not to drive past the garbage can and throw our litter in the bush where we think no one will notice. Shame on us!
Several persons have shared thoughts before about what can be done to address this problem. Possible solutions include: more garbage bins, increased frequency of garbage pick-up, increased public awareness, recycling programmes, environment education in schools, appointing litter wardens to be on the lookout for those littering, naming and shaming persons caught littering – and the list goes on. There is probably no single approach that can bring meaningful change. Perhaps there is a need for a combination of approaches. However, what irks me about this is why should scarce resources be spent to compel people to have some pride and behave like decent, responsible citizens? Anguilla is home to all of us. Let us imagine for a moment that it was our own private home. Would we treat it the same way? Would we be comfortable there if there was garbage strewn everywhere? Would we invite guests over if we haven’t cleaned up? I know Anguillians take a lot of pride in their homes and the aesthetic appearance, so I would assume that we would treat our private homes differently. I challenge us to treat our island home the same way we would our private homes. Anguilla should be a place where both residents and visitors can enjoy the outdoors without that enjoyment being marred by the presence of litter.
There is nothing positive about litter. Not only is it unsightly – it is also unhygienic and can pose a public health threat because it provides breeding places for mosquitoes which we know carry various viruses. Additionally, litter negatively impacts habitats especially in coastal areas and wetlands, and can cause the death of marine, and other, animals. If we truly love Anguilla, and take pride in ourselves and our country, then the solution to the litter problem should be easy. Just do the right thing! I encourage all of us to do our little part for the benefit of the whole.
