Wherever you're from, it goes by a different name, but it's all the same and it needs to stop. South East Asia loves to package and wrap and re-wrap and then add another package to everything they sell. I was not prepared for what a problem it is here in Myanmar. There are a lot of factors that contribute to this problem. There is no infrastructure for garbage removal and disposal. There really is no where to put it. There are orange dumpsters here and there, but they are usually very full. There are no rubbish bins on street corners to easily dispose of whatever is in your hand. Locals just toss it on the street.
Plastic bags! OMG. So. Many. Plastic. Bags. The convenience store downstairs is surprised when I refuse a plastic bag for the single Coke I just purchased.
There is a great deal of poverty. Good people just trying to get by in life. Living where they can, on railroads, in wooded areas, on the streets and sidewalks. They have no where to dispose of their trash. There is also a lack of education when it comes to this subject and they don't know the damage this causes.
There are good groups trying to help. They set up clean-up days and try to educate. It's a step in the right direction. Until there are major changes, garbage will be a problem. It's in every gutter, in every green space, it washes up on the shores of every lake and river. *Yes, I realize this problem is not isolated to Myanmar, but this is where I live right now.
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