People with garbage instead of hearts

This post is not my typical attitude and not my typical mood. Usually I am full of optimism and eager to see the bright sides of life and places. But this subject just can’t remain silent anyone who lives in Lebanon. Therefore I can’t ignore it too. The subject is called “Garbage problem in Lebanon”.

Such a horrific situation is all over the country

Those of you who watch the international news definitely understand what I’m talking about. For the past couple of years Lebanon is drowning in garbage, and the government stays silent and ignorant about it. Garbage is literally everywhere, on the streets, on the roads blocking the way. And by “garbage” I mean those huge fully filled garbage spots that should be daily taken away by cleaners. The official excuse is that there’s no space for discharging the waste. Ammm are you guys serious? If so, why won’t you DO something about it?! The answer is simple. Such a brazen behavior is observed in the absence of the president in Lebanon and total irresponsibility of the parliament. In other words, they just don’t want to move a finger to make a change. This problem is out of their business. Living in the fancy residences up in the mountains they barely care about traffic and pollution that all this garbage causes. And obviously they don’t realize the danger that comes from garbage, its toxicity, its negative effect on nature and people’s health. Especially when people, searching for a solution, burn all those mountains of garbage so the strong, dark and poisoned smoke spreads all over the country. This part of problem is widely reported all over the news and Internet.

Nevertheless my post is not about politicians. It is about people. Simple Lebanese citizens. Those of them who throw garbage on the streets, out of their balconies and from cars’ windows. Plastic bottles, tissues, chips and candy packs, they throw whatever they eat, drink or use. And unfortunately the amount of such people is extremely high. Adults and kids, women and men, they all carelessly turn their own country into stinky and toxic hell. S-H-A-M-E!!! I agree that there’s a lack of garbage bins all over Lebanon, but that doesn’t seem convenient enough for me! Me and my husband NEVER throw anything on the streets, we either keep it in the car or in our bags/pockets until we reach a nearby bin.

Quite typical situation for the Lebanese streets

In this case my question is: how do you expect the government to start changes if you cannot change yourself, cannot educate your kids and show them a positive example of love towards the place you live in? FYI it takes plastic up to 200-300 years to decompose. So a bottle you throw on the ground might stay there for HUNDREDS of years! This information is shocking, and it should really make you think! And pay attention on waste separation which is available in some malls and even on some streets in Beirut.

We should definitely push, protest and demand the government to solve the global problem of garbage in Lebanon. We should read more about waste, about recycling and about the negative effect of garbage on our lives and the nature around. But we must start with ourselves and our children. This is always the first step. Clean the garbage inside of you to have a clean heart!