Duty-driven Rubbish Remover

SEVENTY-EIGHT, SEVENTY-NINE; I stopped counting. There was likely seven times that number of cigarette butts stranded along my adopted blocks between 4^th Avenue and 2^nd Avenue on Dogwood Street in Campbell River.

After nearly two years of performing my duty, I still get a great sense of satisfaction tidying up the sidewalks and boulevards in my neighbourhood. I head out the back door of my home with garbage tongs in one hand, a trash bucket in the other and work gloves on both so that I can pick up what the tool cannot.

On Sunday, October 28, 2012, I was humming along toward Bonnie, the tree I’ve adopted along my route, and behold she was standing beside a garbage can cover that someone had absently tossed her way. As I approached, I saw a white plastic bag and a discarded plastic tray that at one time held food of some kind. I shook my head and wondered how she could attract such junk. After clearing the rubbish I continued south and filled my bucket to capacity.

The City of Campbell River has sensibly placed a solid concrete garbage container on my beat so that my regular three buckets of trash can be deposited into it. Where there are humans, there is rubbish, which means that it’s necessary to have a garbage can to get rid of the litter. Refuse collectors are a city’s necessary investment.

Further along my circuit, I stood and stared for nearly a minute at a large pile of cigarette butts left behind by someone who chose to empty their over-filled car ashtray in my path. My initial feeling of disgust turned calmly into a feeling of responsibility. I picked up the butts in bunches and tossed them into my trash pail. I arrived home later, feeling great about my neighbourhood.

Find the things that don't belong

My neighbourhood in my mind's eye