The Role of the Environment: Littering and Recycling
A reoccurring theme that was present in our fieldnote findings is the idea of the
environment. More specifically, this refers to the various examples of littering and recycling
practices and behaviours. Whether it is the many occurrences of table littering, littering that
defaces public spaces or nature, or the various attempts to encourage recycling, each of these
actions relate to the broader theme of garbage and the environment.
Table Littering
Throughout the literature on littering and trash, one common theme, as was discussed in
the literature review is the idea of table littering. This form of passive littering “occurs when
patrons leave food or beverage-related materials on the table surface where it was consumed”
(Sibley & Liu, 2003, p. 418). Within our fieldnotes, there are several examples of this type of
littering, which we present on campus, and at the mall. Such cases included instances where such
things as paper, coffee cups, old copies of newspapers, or food wrappers were left on tables.
One of the difficulties that comes up when defining the act of table littering is the issue of
whether or not the trash on the table actually belongs to the person sitting there. For example:
I see another girl across the room get up and leave. On the table where she
was is some trash. It’s hard to tell whether or not it had been hers: it was close
enough that it could have been hers but she pushed it aside a bit or she could
have just happened to have sat next to it (p. 40).
And:
I looked towards the rows of tables at the other side of James Dunn and
noticed that while there were two guys sitting there, there was also a bottle of
chocolate milk and a water bottle sitting on the table. These items weren’t
directly in front of them, so it didn’t appear as if they belonged to them but
that they had just been left behind (p. 75-76).
These excerpts show us that there is ambiguity in whether or not the trash on a table belongs to
the person who is sitting there. There’s also uncertainty as to who will eventually pick it up. If
someone sits beside the trash even though it was not theirs, when they leaves, if they do not
throw it out, will this be considered table littering as well?
Another issue surrounding the idea of table littering deals with advertising. On two
occasions throughout our observations, advertisements were placed on public tables. The first
was in the form of a Domino’s Pizza coupon booklet left on tables in James Dunn Hall (p. 4).
The second example is from the mall where “there was nothing left on any of the tables except
these small paper advertisements from Sears (which may soon become garbage)” (p. 69). From
these examples we see how the meaning of something can change depending on how it is
interpreted. Someone who loves Domino’s Pizza may be thrilled to see coupons available on the
tables. On the other hand though, someone may see it as littering the table, making them less
likely to choose that space to occupy.
Littering in Public Spaces
Another common environmental aspect of litter that we observed is the idea of trash
found throughout nature and public outdoor spaces. This section can be broken down into two
different categories: first, areas where we did not find as much trash as expected (because of who
frequents the areas); and secondly, examples of spaces where litter was defacing those areas. In
terms of the first category, it is interesting to note how in some areas, we expected to find
excessive litter because of who is often found in these areas (which in our case was children in
public parks). This is similar to the article by Müller (2010) which looked at teenage perception
on litter in public places. The author argued that in some cases, teenagers litter as a way of
resisting authority. As he suggests: “Teenagers feel disempowered because they do not have the
rights and privileges of adults. To compensate this they will resist the adult world and act in a
delinquent way to present themselves as independent persons” (p. 4).
In relation to this, in some cases we almost found the opposite. For example, there were
at least three instances where we were expecting to find more litter in public parks which are
visited by kids and teenagers. Such examples include:
Overall I was quite surprised with the cleanliness of this park as I had
imagined that a place where kids play on a daily basis would be accompanied
by lots of trash (p. 24).
This surprised me as I expected it to be the worst area of the park with three
vending machines nearby along with my own assumption that generally kids
are the worst when it comes to those who litter (p. 29-30).
The court itself is quite clean, as well as the bleachers beside the court (I had
expected to find some trash underneath the bleacher seats) (p. 33).
What this shows us is that similar to Müller’s idea, we anticipate littering to be an action more
commonly performed by younger people.
Another finding in regards to litter in public places is our concern for how trash defaces
nature. One common place for finding trash, which we observed, was near trees, bushes or grass.
Such examples include:
There is a lot of other garbage in the middle of the bush such as two large
Listerine bottles, two small Listerine bottles, an empty Molson Canadian can,
several empty packs of cigarettes (of different brands), small plastic bags, and
two empty personal sized yogurt containers (p. 31).
And:
I started to wonder why so few of these items that we encounter rarely ever
appear to be on the sidewalk, but on the grass beside it instead. Do we kick it
over there, out of the way? Does it get blown off the sidewalk? (p. 71).
Not only are we aware of this trash because it is unsightly and does not seem to belong, however
in some cases it causes us to feel strongly against it. This was seen in one observation in
particular. For example:
Looking into an open area where the trail splits and the stream widens into a
large pond I can spot pieces of garbage everywhere. Trash is floating in the
water, stuck high up into trees, and sitting within dropping distance of the
trails. (It is really sad that in such a beautiful area surrounded by nature all I
can focus on are the patches of white and shiny silver garbage that ruin this
otherwise picturesque scenery) (p. 37).
These are just a few examples of the various ways in which litter in found in public outdoor
spaces and how it ruins our opinions of the otherwise beautiful nature and environment.
Encouraging Recycling
The third subtheme of the environment category of our findings deals with recycling.
This section will focus on three major things: uncertainty of what can and cannot be recycled;
apartments and unavailability of recycling; and recycling differences between provinces. The
first aspect I will focus on is the idea of ambiguity and recycling. In several of our findings, there
were either cases of recyclable materials being thrown into the trash can, or examples where
there were more than one bin however they were not properly marked. An example of unclear
labels includes:
Another garbage can has a blue lid, for any paper product to be recycled;
however there is no signage as to what type of paper can be recycled (paper
waste, such as looseleaf, printer paper, stock paper, paper plates, etc) (p. 5).
In regards to recyclables being thrown in with trash, here are a few examples:
Recyclables are also inside the garbage bags, such as pop cans, plastic pop
bottles of all sizes, juice containers, milk containers, and small juice boxes (p.
9).
As I delicately sift through the heap of used tissues and paper towel I notice
that there is a juice box that has been placed in the garbage bin. I remove the
juice box for recycling and continue sifting carefully (p. 18).
I opened up the bag and immediately noticed some things didn’t belong
(according to the rules of waste separation). There were three tea bags sitting
on top of the pile of garbage, which should have been placed in the compost
container (p. 61).
It was interesting to note how for the most part, we had been able to follow the
separation rules of garbage, recycling, and composting – mostly everything
was in the right place. However, there were a few exceptions to this (i.e. three
used tea bags found in the garbage), but overall, we had been able to stick to
these rules pretty well (p. 62).
These examples clearly demonstrate that often times, recyclable items are confused as garbage
and get thrown into the wrong bin. Perhaps this shows that we require more education on what is
and is not recyclable. It may also demonstrate, however, symbolic interactionism, in that
different people have different opinions concerning what is and is not recyclable.
The second aspect of our findings that relates to recycling has to do with living in
apartment building and the difficulty recycling. This was an issue that was mentioned several
times throughout our findings, and often times, we wanted to be able to recycle, however lack of
accessibility was a major concern. For example:
He wishes he was able to compost, however because of this current living
conditions (living in an apartment building) he is unable to do so. He discussed
how he is very conscious about what he ends up throwing out and what he can
recycle, but adds that he definitely could be throwing out less and recycling
more if the options were available. Currently the system in his apartment
building consists of a large dumpster in his parking lot that residents are
expected to throw everything into, including recyclables (p. 38).
And:
Living in this apartment building has me recycling a lot less than I wish I
could. The fact of the matter is that it just is not convenient for me at all. I
know this is a bad excuse, but my building does nothing at all for recycling.
These two examples show us how lack of availability is an important reason for not recycling.
Although efforts have been made in several public places to have recycling bins present, for
those who live in apartment buildings, or those without cars, there is no easy way to reduce the
amount of waste produced. In this sense, the impression is given that recycling is only something
that can be done by those who have the means, and oppressing those who do not.
The third aspects of our findings dealing with recycling relates to different recycling
practices across provinces. It seems safe to say that compared to other provinces like Ontario or
Nova Scotia, New Brunswick is far behind in recycling legislation and rulings. For example:
The system of collecting garbage [in Nova Scotia] is facility different than
New Brunswick’s in the sense that we are also required to sort our waste into
garbage, compost and recycling (p. 59).
And:
I remember speaking with a friend who grew up in New Brunswick about the
differences in garbage. We had passed by a garbage can [. . .] and noticed that
someone had stuffed a couple of water bottles in there. My initial thoughts
were that those bottles should be recycled and had no place being in the
garbage can. Upon mentioning this to my friend, he spoke of how his family
hadn’t recycled growing up and that to him, his first instinct would be to throw
an empty water bottle in the garbage (p. 60).
What these examples show us is the recognition that different provinces regard and interpret
trash differently. It is disappointing to realize that our province is far behind on trying to help the
environment and reduce waste. Perhaps drawing attention to this fact will push for tougher
recycling rules.
This section of the findings has showed us how there are different types of littering,
whether it’s table littering on campus or at the mall, or littering in public places. We have also
demonstrated how these acts of littering can deface nature, almost to the point where we are
more likely to notice trash and garbage rather than a beautiful tree or flower. Additionally, this
section has drawn attention to recycling practices, how common and accessible they are, and
how they may vary across the different provinces.
Reference:
Müller, Thaddeus. (2010). “I don’t notice it, actually’: How teenagers give meaning to litter in
public space. Presented at: The Qualitatives 2010: Social Pragmatism as a Conceptual
Foundation.