Hamtramck, you’re looking trashy lately

This is not so much an editorial but, instead, a call to action.
Look around your neighborhood and the city streets. What do you see?
Litter everywhere. A ton of litter. Layers of litter.
Every year, at this time of year, when winter’s snows retreat, we are suddenly faced with approximately four months of litter accumulation.
Right now, Hamtramck looks awful, or as City Councilmember Nayeem said recently, “really trashy.”
In the coming weeks, there will likely be a number of citywide clean-ups. There have even been a few dedicated souls who have taken it upon themselves to perform their own neighborhood clean-ups during the past few months.
To those folks, we say thank you.
If you can’t attend an upcoming community clean-up, the next best thing to do is clean around your residence – the yard, the front curb and sidewalk and your portion of the alley.
Having an ongoing community litter awareness campaign helps too.
Unfortunately, litter in Hamtramck has been an ongoing problem, creating an ugly blight for many years.
Often, once you clean up your part of Hamtramck, hours later it can look you didn’t do a thing.
Why is that?
Take a quick search on Google and you can find some answers, such as:
People litter because there isn’t a nearby trash can, or the can is overflowing.
People under the age 30 are most likely to be litter culprits.
Here’s one quote on who litters and why: “juvenility; narcissism; a penchant for not wanting to be inconvenienced; and a strong, unreasonable, selfish belief in personal freedom. Narcissists believe it is the job of janitors and maintenance workers to pick up after them (from montpelierbridge.org).”
Seeing litter can affect how we feel too. Just like clutter at home, litter can make you feel anxious.
Well, you get the drift.
Let’s all keep fighting the good fight, and make Hamtramck a welcoming place to live.
Posted March 31, 2023