On November 23rd, 2024, North Arlington High School students set out to clean up their town. Students began at the high school, picking up litter and cleaning the environment. The attendees included 10 students and two teachers, Mr. Cagnacci and Mrs. Cleary. They eventually split into two groups to cover as much ground as possible. The clean-up took around two hours and required lots of hard work.
The students and teachers utilized gloves, grabbers, trash bags, and a bucket. Cigarettes, straws, and water bottles were common items found in the trash. The purpose of the town clean-up was to pick up trash and spread awareness. It is most important for everyone to be aware of the harmful effects of littering. Ultimately, the town clean-up was a success! Several pounds of trash were collected.
The town clean-up brought great awareness to the contributions of littering. Littering consists of items that have been discarded incorrectly, e.g. on the ground. Shown from the clean-up, cigarettes have also begun creating a not-so-little problem for our environment. Cigarettes are highly toxic to the environment; they are combined with 4,000 chemicals, which are most definitely not eco-friendly. Most of the time, animals are not selective about what they ingest. Birds, dogs, marine life, and many more creatures ingest tobacco resulting in sickness or sometimes even death.
In summary, the town clean-up was a major success! Not only does this clean-up keep our environment cleaner, but it also provides awareness about littering. Sam Dimler, a junior who participated in the clean-up, said, “I feel littering is a bad habit a lot of people have picked up. Due to laziness, people have just developed this idea that it is okay to throw things without a consequence when in reality it is extremely harmful to the environment.”
This opportunity is a great way to get involved in the community and to also educate yourself on the environment. No matter how small the change, there is always a major difference. The environmental club strives to make major changes to the planet. They meet weekly, in room 115, always welcoming more members!