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A message about fighting litter
Keep Liberty Beautiful
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During the summer, many of us visit beaches, parks and other environments that can be vulnerable to litter.  
People often litter because they are lazy or just don’t want to be bothered to find a garbage can for their trash. Unfortunately, when people litter, it has a negative effect on our environment.
You may be just a kid, but you are responsible for your actions and can have a positive impact on your parents’ choices. I am asking you to make sure that as your family has fun in the sun this summer, you help them be litter-free. Yes, you now are deputized to be the official litter police for your family.
Litter has a terrible effect on our green spaces and the wildlife that live there. Please remind your family to use a litter bag in the car and to make sure no trash can blow out of your family’s vehicle. At the end of a vacation day, make sure the trash your family accumulates is disposed of correctly in a garbage can. Picking up litter not only gets rid of the ugly mess that it makes, but it also prevents our pets and wildlife from eating it or being hurt by it and keeps litter from ending up in local waterways.
Ask your family members to make a never-litter pledge. If we all stop adding to the mess, we eventually can live litter-free. If you have family members who smoke, let them know that cigarette butts can be litter, too, if they are tossed on the ground. Ask them to use a pocket or car ashtray. We have them free at Keep Liberty Beautiful, 101 N. Commerce St., or by calling 880-4888.
When you are at the beach, remember that any litter could end up in the ocean. In addition to the bad effect trash can have on sea life, it often washes up on shore and makes messes. Do you really want to play on a beach or in water that is trashy? If your family has an outing at a park or beach, always take a trash bag and clean up every speck of trash you make. Never leave anything behind except your footprints!
Here are a few other suggestions for you and your family:
•Get family members to commit to picking up at least one piece of litter each day. If everyone in our community did that, we would never see litter!
•Make sure your trash-can lids are on securely so that trash will not blow out.
•Volunteer to organize a neighborhood cleanup. Keep Liberty Beautiful can loan supplies and provide garbage bags and water for volunteers.
•Ask your family to adopt a road through the Adopt Liberty Program.
•Encourage your friends to become litter police for their families.
After picking up litter for a while, you’ll see how addictive it can be. It feels good to clean up our planet! And you know, once you train your parents to be responsible about litter, they will do it all their lives. Have fun this summer in a clean, healthy world!

Upcoming KLB events
Recycle It! Fair and Prescription Take-Back — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at the Liberty County Health Department, 1113 E. Oglethorpe Highway in Hinesville.

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