The Downside of LA Trash

 

The Downside of LA Filth

By: Karen Navarro

What is Civic Engagement?

    There are many different definitions for "Civic Engagement", one definition is "It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes.” However, I think Civic Engagement is a way for everyone to participate. Examples like voting or volunteering in group activities for the community. A way for society to improve together.

Issue

    LA has many flaws, whether it be education, crimes, jobs, or the economy there is one big issue that LA has and almost nobody really talks about it, the trash. One of the main issues that LA has is the amount of trash it has collected over the years and years.

Research

    All around LA trash has been an issue for as long as people can remember, if anything I hardly doubt people even remember how the LA streets looked like before the trash started to gather up. LA has so much trash littered almost everywhere in the streets and when it rains some of that trash gets washed down into the sewers. In the article"10 Highest Trash Producing Cities In 2023" stated the following Highest Trash Storing States In The US:

1. Michigan
2. Indiana
3. Illinois
4. Pennsylvania
5. Ohio
6. California
7. Wisconsin
8. Nevada
9. Colorado
10. Kentucky

California is in 6th and this is a major problem because the trash that's being littered and drained to the sewers can have an effect on not just the ocean but the whole planet as well. According to the article "Trash talk: Los Angeles is losing its battle with litter, and neighborhoods are stepping up" it states that "Among major U.S. cities, Los Angeles was second only to San Francisco when it comes to the percentage of streets in which litter was present, according to a 2022 survey". People are treating the city of LA like it's down dump, because of the amount of trash that's being thrown out in the streets, and because of the amount of trash it causes rats to be common and those rats and the waste can carry diseases, according to the article "Public health implication of solid waste generated" it states that trash can cause "typhoid, dysentery, cholera, onchocerciasis, sandfly fever, and conjunctivitis" and even more if the trash is not dealt with. 

Personal

     This means to me because Downtown LA has one of my favorite places that I love to go over the weekends, Little Tokyo. It just saddens me that each time I go it's all littered with trash even the trash cans are filled up to the brim. I have been to Little Tokyo in 2011, and the trash wasn't that bad that year, however, the more and more I visit the more trash I begin to notice and it makes it hard to breathe sometimes because of the smell. I want LA to be a clean environment where everyone can feel safe and less disgusted. 

     (Little Tokyo Trash)

Interviews

    The following questions were asked by the people who got interviewed:

• How do you feel about the trash in downtown LA?
• Do you think trash is a major problem in LA?
• How can we improve the trash issue in LA?

(*Note: because my community is small many people didn't 

feel comfortable to be interviewed so only two people complied)

(Jose Navarro)

Question: How do you feel about the trash in downtown LA?

    Answer: It's Pretty depressing, especially if there are homeless people living throughout LA with all that trash around and having to live through that trash.

Question: Do you think trash is a major problem in LA?

    Answer: Yes, it is definitely a huge issue 

Question: How can we improve the trash issue in LA?

    Answer: It depends, there really isn't much to do but I guess the best thing we can do now it to just try to pick out the trash. 

(Kane Martinez)

Question: How do you feel about the trash in downtown LA?

    Answer: It's sad and absurd because of the amount of trash that there is around LA. I have been all over there and I see trash almost everywhere looked.

Question: Do you think trash is a major problem in LA?

    Answer: It really is a major problem 

Question: How can we improve the trash issue in LA?

    Answer: In my opinion, there really isn't a way to improve. However, I guess if there is a way I guess we can help out the homeless people and try to encourage people to stop littering around. The people are the ones that need improvement. 

What can we do? How can we get involved?

    It's not simple but here are a few ideas I can recommend doing to help out:

• Support local gathers who are cleaning streets
• Make a movement about helping pick up trash
• Recycle and try to use less plastic
• Talk to family and friends or your community about the issue
• Do the research on what you should avoid throwing away

Resources

“10 Highest Trash Producing Cities in 2023.” Trash Cans Unlimited, https://trashcansunlimited.com/blog/10-highest-trash-producing-cities-in-2023/.

Alam, A. (2022, November 14). Trash talk: Los angeles streets overflow with garbage. Cronkite News - Arizona PBS. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2022/11/14/los-angeles-streets-overflow-with-garbage/

Omang, D. I., John, G. E., Inah, S. A., & Bisong, J. O. (2021, September). Public health implication of solid waste generated by households in Bekwarra Local Government Area. African health sciences. Retrieved April 5, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8843296/#:~:text=They%20include%20typhoid%2C%20dysentery%2C%20cholera,and%20conjunctivitis%20and%20many%20others.