Littering Alternative - Seed Bombs!

If you feel the need to litter why not choose something which beautifies instead of harming the environment.  Seed bombs are a great way to do this and you still get to throw them.  You can make them yourself or order them online.  What is a see bomb?

A seed bomb is compressed soil which contains native grass and flower seeds.  The seed bombs are thrown and the sporadic planting looks more natural.  The first seed bombs were introduced as part of the green movement by the "Green Guerillas" in 1973.  Tomato seeds mixed with compost were thrown on vacant land in New York.    This same concept can be used to beautify our environment with wildflowers. 

This is a great link for learning how to make seed bombs, however, there are many choices available to you on the web.  This page is detailed with easy to follow instructions.
http://www.wildflower.org/seedgrant/Seed_Ball_Activity_2011.pdf

You can also buy seed bombs already made.  There are also many options for this as well.  My suggestion for purchasing is a small owned business with lots of native wildflower choices.  Please visit:
http://www.redriverbombs.com/


So the next time you get the urge to throw something out your window, grab a seed bomb!

Personal Costs to You

There are fines for littering in Kansas and they are as follows:

Misdemeanor. First conviction: fine of not less than $250 nor more than $1,000. Second conviction: fine of not less than $1,000 nor more than $2,000. Third conviction: fine of not less than $2,000 nor more than $4000. In all cases, requirement to pick up litter for length of time at court's discretion.

You might be saying to yourself the chances of being caught throwing trash out your window is slim to none.  Think again!  The following article, "Kansas Woman Blames Daily Littering of Lipton Tea Bottles on Impulse Control" describes a farmer in Kansas who set up a game camera and caught a lady throwing trash from her SUV onto his land.  Her fines with court costs were $1160 according to the article.

You never know who is watching!

To read more about the Lipton Tea litterer visit: http://www.wacktrap.com/people/smart-people/kansas-woman-blames-daily-littering-lipton-tea-bottles-impulse-control

Litter on our Roadways

Did you know that tobacco products comprise approximately 38% of all roadway litter?  Did you know that 46% of roadway litter is from packaging products?  items such as bags, containers, napkins, cups, etc.  Also, 76% of this is from pedestrians and motorists.  This means people are throwing things out their car windows?  Do you do this?

You might be saying "this really doesn't affect me".  "Of course people are going to throw things out their car window as they are driving.  What is the harm? Someone else will pick it up."

The harm is that litter in a community can decrease  your property value by 7%.  If that doesn't bother you, maybe knowing that this litter can end up clogging up storm drains or getting into the water supply and possible contaminate your drinking water. This affects us all.  Maybe you drink bottled water, so you still throw your trash out the window.  After all, why would you leave trash in your clean car?

To clean up all this litter it costs 11.5 billion per year and even if you think you are not paying for it, you are through costs and taxes. 

Please don't throw trash out your window.  Please think before doing it and put your trash in the cans that are in your home, convenience store, outside of businesses, at rest stops and pretty much every where you go.  Your car won't mind to wait a few minutes. 

Each time you throw, even the smallest piece of litter out your car window you are contributing to a big problem; think about it!

See someone littering and need to know where to report it?

You can report littering at litter-bug.org. Your information can be use to help prevent and deter future littering and possibly catch perpetrators of illegal dumping activity.  Visit the link below.

http://www.litter-bug.org/report_littering.asp?STATE_PROVINCE=kansas&CITY=wichita