Avoid Littering: We Are All in This Together!

Above: Trash recently collected by a resident from the shores of Lake Waterstone

138 pieces of trash—that was the one-day haul of litter from the waters of Lake Waterstone and the rocks surrounding it. Our lake. Your lake.

Littering is one of the largest environmental issues we face today. It affects all of us, from people to animals and our neighborhood. And littering occurs so easily and carelessly. We see a trash can but decide to just toss a piece of trash on the ground, assuming it will eventually vanish into thin air like magic and not adversely affect our surroundings. Yet every piece of trash mounts up, clogging our storm drains, contaminating our water, and endangering even wildlife.

Recently an HOA member observed a lot of trash on their walk around Lake Waterstone and was very concerned about it. Being a good steward of our neighborhood, that person decided to pick up this trash and inventory it. As the fellow member pointed out, “If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.” Well, folks, that walk around Lake Waterstone produced 138 pieces of trash, ranging from 36 dog poop bags to one size-16 flip flop! Of course, multiple other plastic items were found in the lake, such as numerous plastic bags and bottles, glass drink bottles and cans, as well as other miscellaneous items. (See the image at the end of this article for the entire 138-piece inventory.)

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, in America alone, each person produces almost 4.5 lbs. of trash per day. While it’s unrealistic to think each piece of trash is going to make it into a dumpster, please don’t be part of the problem! The one thing each of us has control over when it comes to litter is the way we either help or hinder the problem. We are in this together as HOA members to keep our Waterstone community as beautiful and litter-free as possible!

If you throw away some trash in one of our common areas, please make sure it actually makes it into a waste bin and cannot blow away. There are also dog poop receptacles at various accessible locations in our common areas, including at Lake Waterstone, to properly dispose of pet waste as well as obtain additional waste bags.

We can also do our part in teaching children how to properly throw away trash and about the harms of littering. And, even more practically, if you see a piece a trash on the ground as you go your way, please pick it up and dispose of it properly. Truly, every little bit helps toward keeping our Waterstone community clean and safe.

Thank you!

Above: An inventory of trash recently collected from the shores of Lake Waterstone