To the Editor:
My name is Hugh McElroy. I am a Boy Scout with Cape May Court House Troop 1065. I am working on my communication merit badge. One of the requirements is to write to the editor of a local newspaper or magazine and express my opinion or share information on any subject. I would like to express my opinion on roadside litter here in Cape May County.
As a Boy Scout, protecting the environment is very important to us. A lot of what we do involves participating in activities outdoors, such as camping, hiking, swimming, etc. From our youngest scout to our adult leaders and chaperones, we all use the motto, “Leave No Trace.” This means that regardless of what our activity is, we make sure that the area is clear of all trash and debris, so that the area looks untouched.
We participate in roadside cleanups throughout the year. This helps to keep our environment clean, as well as help raise money for our troop. Every time we go, I am amazed by the large amount of garbage found on different roads throughout the county. Everything from food wrappers, empty bottles both nonalcoholic and alcoholic, bags of trash dumped on the side of the road from peoples’ homes, and a lot of other types of trash. We have found some pretty crazy things on the side of the road. One cleanup, on just 1 or 2 miles of a road can fill up 25 large garbage bags, plus one or two pickup truck beds with large bulk items.
The county workers do a great job of picking up what they can, but there is so much, it would be impossible to get it all. I think that we could have more road signs, warning of fines for littering and maybe a few different signs to educate the public that they are harming the environment. Even if the signs just help one person per day from throwing their garbage out of the car window, it would add up.
