Trash Talk: What I Learned from Picking Up Other People’s Trash

By Croft McLean

I didn’t start picking up trash because I thought I was going to change the world overnight– I just didn’t want to step over yet another crushed soda bottle on the sidewalk.

It started small. A gum wrapper here, a fast-food bag there. I’d pick things up on walks around town, on the beach, and on my college campus. At first, it was just gross. And kind of annoying. But the more I did it, the more I started to notice not just the trash itself, but what it said about people. About habits. What kind of trash showed up where? How certain spots were always worse than others… And slowly, it started becoming less about the trash itself and more about what it meant. What it said about the people who left it behind, and about how we interact with the world around us.

Turns out, trash has a lot to say. And if you’re tuned in, you start to hear it.

Empathy Over Judgment

I go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and my campus is gorgeous. Brick walkways, big trees, and grassy quads, but even the most beautiful places aren’t immune to litter.

There’s something weirdly humbling about picking up someone else’s trash.

On the surface, it’s easy to get annoyed– walking along, enjoying your day, and there’s a half-eaten sandwich sitting on a bench, or a crushed beer can hiding in the bushes on a random Tuesday morning and all you can think is, ‘Seriously? What is wrong with people?’

I used to think that all the time. But over time, my attitude started to soften.

Maybe the person who dropped that wrapper was overwhelmed. Maybe it blew into a bush and they would come back for it. Maybe they just didn’t care. Whatever their reason, it made me pause before rushing to judge.

Sure, it’s trash, but it could also be a snapshot of someone’s day: their stress, their joy, their total lack of sleep– it doesn’t excuse it, but it does make it more human. 

Picking up trash didn’t just shift how I see the environment, it changed how I see people.

What Trash Reveals

Here’s something I didn’t expect: trash is predictable. It reflects what’s happening around us.

You can tell what's happening that day based on what’s on the ground:

Long weekend? More beer cans and takeout boxes. 

Finals week? Coffee cups everywhere. 

After a big event or holiday? Confetti, balloons– the classics.

During the pandemic? Disposable masks, rubber gloves, Clorox wipe wrappers. 

This isn’t just happening in one place. When students returned to campus after the pandemic, even Ithaca College saw a noticeable spike in litter. It’s something schools across the country have been dealing with as we all try to settle back into routines and relearn what it means to take care of our shared spaces. The surge reflected a shift in mindset, habits, and maybe even burnout.

At San Diego State, student volunteers picked up over 24,000 cigarette butts in just one hour. 

That number’s kind of shocking, but it also really puts things into perspective. It shows how easy it is for litter to build up when we start to overlook it, and just how powerful it can be when a group of people come together and decide to make a difference.

Trash doesn’t lie. It reflects us, whether we want it to or not.

Why It’s Worth It

Let’s be real: picking up trash isn’t exactly glamorous. It can be awkward. It can be smelly. And yeah, sometimes it feels like the second you clean a spot, someone litters there again.

But more often than not, something good comes out of it. Someone might thank you. A friend might jump in to help. You might walk past a spot you cleaned last week and see that it’s still clean. They’re the small wins that keep you going!

Groups like #UNLITTER prove that cleanups can actually be fun—and they can make a real impact. #UNLITTER is made up of students on college campuses who genuinely care about their communities and want to be part of something bigger. At the end of the day, #UNLITTER isn’t just about picking up trash, it’s about normalising environmental awareness and inspiring action. And the best part? You don’t need a big campaign or a fancy title to make a difference. Most of the time, it just starts with one person choosing to show up.

Want to Help? Start Here:

You don’t need to lead a movement. You don’t need a clipboard or a plan. You just need a trash bag, some gloves, and maybe a good playlist, and like... 15 minutes.

If you’re feeling a little more organized:

• Keep America Beautiful: National nonprofit with cleanup events, recycling guides, and tons of resources.

• Campus Race to Zero Waste: A national college challenge that makes sustainability competitive and fun.

Or just start solo—pick up a couple things on your daily walk. Bring a trash bag next time you’re at the beach. Keep gloves and a few extra bags in your car, just in case. Those small habits? They start to add up. And honestly, they can even rub off on the people around you.

If you’re feeling inspired to do more, you can even start your own chapter of #UNLITTER. It doesn’t have to be anything big or official at first—just rally a few friends, plan a cleanup, or share what you’re doing online. That’s how movements grow. One person cares, then another, and suddenly there’s a whole crew of people making a difference together.

Final Thought: Listen to the Trash

Trash isn’t just about pollution—it’s also about the things we ignore. The messes we assume someone else will deal with. The stories we overlook or don’t think are worth telling.

But when you stop and pick trash up, even just one piece, you start to see things differently. For me, it’s helped me to be slower to judge, quicker to care, and has made me notice the world in a new way.

So no, simply picking up trash hasn’t completely changed the world yet, but it’s changed how I walk through it. For me, that’s more than enough, and that feels like a good place to start!