It's so easy not to trash Long Island

To hear how bad the litter problem has become on Long Island, just listen to some of the people whose job is to pick it up.

Brian Ferring, a state Department of Transportation worker, said there are no excuses for the sheer tons of roadside trash, especially when gas stations have cans in which it can be tossed. “There’s a lot of snobs not taking care of the place we live in,” Ferring told Newsday.

It’s true. Our laziest residents leave these things for some imaginary butler or maid of the streets to take care of, whether it’s drink containers or napkins or bags or cigarette butts. “They just throw it out the window, “ said DOT spokesman Steve Canzoneri, who notes that the problem keeps getting worse. “They don’t want the trash in their car. That’s what it comes down to.”

The department reports that in its recent two-week cleanup campaign honoring Earth Day, 42.5 tons of garbage were hauled away from the Island’s parkways and highways. How it all got there is a disgrace. And every Long Islander knows it's not just along our highways.

In case it’s news to anyone, public littering has its hazards, too. The debris can distract drivers or pose fire hazards. Plastic bags can clog drains, and chemicals tossed away can pollute water. What’s the excuse? And then there’s the bigger stuff — tires, mattresses and large appliances all dumped on the roadside over the years.

Change has to come from the people, but officials can encourage it. This spring, Smithtown has plans for cleanup stations at four town beaches. Portable baskets for recycling plastic will go next to municipal trash cans. Aiden Kravitz, CEO of Relic Design, which is doing those installations, said beachgoers can pick up trash on their walks and return the baskets when done. The company has such stations at other Suffolk County beaches. Plastic bottlecaps and other materials can ultimately harm marine life and the ecosystem, which gives beachgoers an added incentive. It’s not hard work. Why not help?

Public officials need not be reticent about promoting some old-fashioned “don’t-be-a-litterbug” messages — especially if the people at whom the lectures are aimed include their bosses, the voters. That’s not imposing a nanny state, but simply showing leadership.

Most adult Long Islanders have visited other parts of the country that are far less trashed, so they know the status quo is not immutable.

Keeping yourself from hurling trash out car windows, or leaving it on the beach, or dropping it on a street or road requires only the most basic form of civic concern. This takes only a second of thought, and only minimal intelligence. The littering habit is easy to break. The benefits are collectively huge. There are no valid excuses for littering.

So please stop.