Keep La Porte County Clean

alicia-ebaugh-oneLa Porte County is a beautiful place. When I moved here, I was in awe of some of the scenic vistas and public spaces offered from Lake Michigan down to the Kankakee River. This spectacular beauty attracts tourists who put millions of dollars into our economy each year.

However, sometimes I wonder how much our own residents care for the communities in which they live, work and raise families. Each time I take a walk, I have to pick up food wrappers from the sidewalk or pull plastic bags out of bushes and trees. Every time I drive to work, I see plastic bottles and other trash lining the roads.

We can’t afford to have our county’s natural beauty spoiled by litter. Randomly discarded trash, even the smallest item such as a cigarette butt, endangers our environment, our wildlife and our economy. As La Porte County residents, littering in our “own backyard” can even decrease property values.

I know I am not the only person who notices this litter lining our county’s roadways. But there is something we can all do about it – clean it up!

The Solid Waste District is hosting its fifth annual Clean It Up Day from 9 am to noon on Saturday, April 30. Individuals or groups may choose any spot in the county they’d like to clean up, be it a park, county road or even their own neighborhood, and we’ll give you trash bags, bottled water and snacks to get you through the project. All volunteers will then be invited to a free luncheon at Washington Park Zoo, where they can enjoy live animal demonstrations. Contact me at (219) 326-0014 or aebaugh@solidwastedistrict.com to sign up!

But one day of cleaning won’t change how our county looks overnight. La Porte County is the second largest county in Indiana by area, containing more than 1,000 miles of roads. It is up to all of us to take care of them year-round. It would make such a difference if everyone took a few minutes every week just to clean the trash up outside of their homes and businesses.

Here are a few tips to prevent litter from spreading in the first place:

  • Always dispose of your trash in proper receptacle;
  • If you have children, teach them to do the same;
  • Carry a litter bag in your car—and use it;
  • Never throw anything out your window;
  • Always clean up your site after a picnic or other activity;
  • Do not overfill trash or recycling receptacles when you put them out for collection;
  • Secure your load if you carry trash or loose material in a truck.

Keeping our surroundings clean is an important part of improving the quality of life in La Porte County. Please join us in helping keep our communities free of litter any way you can!

Alicia Ebaugh is the Education and Public Outreach Coordinator for the La Porte County Solid Waste District.