I have become a connoisseur of urban trash littering our community landscapes. During my daily constitutional, I have seen all kinds of stuff including paper, plastic, glass, clothing and shoes. Since I don’t wish to malign the manufacturers of the products that once filled the empty packages, suffice it to say that the litter I see includes fast-food sandwich wrappers, pizza boxes, plastic and paper drink cups, sometimes with the straws still intact, glass bottles (liquor and beer), weight loss/management food container, cigarette packages and smokeless tobacco (snuff) tins.

Then there is the dog waste that is left right where it drops — this despite posted signs reminding owners to dispose of the stuff in containers strategically available for that purpose complete with plastic bags. I guess people think it will fertilize the desert rocks — there are more rocks than grass here in this upscale suburban Phoenix community.

I pass a palm tree farm on certain days. One day three boys — I assume they were on their way to a school nearby or else waiting for the school bus — were deeply engrossed in something on the ground. I thought they may have come upon one of those baby rattlesnakes people have been warning me about. I was amazed when the tallest of the trio somehow had the liquid in a soft drink can squirting in the air. Had he picked the can up to properly dispose of it, I would have run across the street and congratulated him on both feats.

I suppose it is reasonable to think that some of this stuff was left behind on garbage collection day. I don’t think so based on the way it is scattered on the sidewalks and streets away from houses, and on the different routes I follow on my daily walks. One day I saw what appeared to be a brand new leather gym shoe near a school bus stop where a bunch of kids congregate. I figured the expensive-looking shoe would surely be recovered later in the day. It was still there two days later.

Now, why does all that plastic and other trash on the ground bother me? It is unsightly for one thing, but more than that it is a clear message that protecting the environment is not a priority for too many people. Most of all, I am saddened by this carelessness especially when I think of all the money and effort on the part of the packaging industry to develop sustainable packaging. Consider that packaging is being designed to optimize materials and energy. A major focus is on clean production technologies and best practices and using materials that won’t cause health problems (see my sustainability report “Ecosystem rescue” in the April 2009 edition of The National Provisioner).

ConAgra Foods announced in March that it is the first company to utilize a new shrink film that contains more than 50 percent post-industrial recycled material, reducing landfill waste, greenhouse gases, and energy consumption. This won’t mean much in the grand scheme of environmental protection, however, if consumers continue to use such packaging as litter in their communities.

OK, all together now to the tune of "Mama Don’t Let Your Sons Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” sing “Parents Don’t Let Your Kids Grow Up to Be Litterbugs.”

Finally, do something environmentally worthwhile on April 22, Earth Day. Just don't forget that every day is earth day for those of us who care about protecting our environment from the carelessness of others.