Background Information
The most popular park in Austin is Zilker park, and it is located in the center of town. Many events are hosted here and trash left behind is a big issue. Events like Austin City Limits and The Kite Festival are the biggest of the year. Thousands of people come from all over America to attend these huge events. This is great for the economy, but not so much for the environment. We decided to research more about the pollution at Zilker Park and do a trash pickup.
Why are we Interested?
We have all been to Zilker Park countless of times, along with a bunch of other parks around the city. The public parks of Austin are so valuable to all citizens. Children play everyday on playgrounds, dogs enjoy running around, and adults use them for hanging out and having picniks. It is so important to keep these areas clean so we can fully enjoy them. Along with making the parks more enjoyable, it is also important for the wildlife and environment to keep our trash out of their homes. We wanted to do something to stop this issue because it shouldn't even be an issue. It is as simple as using a trash can or picking up what others left behind.
Quick Facts
Pollution on a Global Scale
- Many international companies such as Nestle have signed treaties to help tackle the world pollution rate
- The world discovered microplastics about 20 years ago and how the long term affects would destroy wildlife, but nothing has been done since
- Since the discovery of microplastics, the global plastic pollution has almost doubled
- Around 60% of all pollution is trash or plastic based in our Earths oceans
Pollution on a National Scale
- Around 51.2 billion pieces of trash appear on major US roadways every year
- About 91% of all the trash collected on US roads is no longer than 4 inches, making 6,729 pieces of trash per mile.
- Around 3% of all waste in the United States is dumped illegally in the environment
- If caught littering in public or private property, American's can be fined up to $1,000, along with jail time, community cleanups and service
Pollution on a City Scale
- Littering in Austin is very serious and if caught, there is an automatic $500 fine with a possibility of an $1000 fine and 180 days in jail
- Tobacco and electronic cigarettes is the most common form of litter on Austin roads and parks
- As of 2017, around 293 out of 300 parks did not have recycling bins in Austin
- Water and air pollution are the biggest issues for pollution in Austin
- Lake Austin has one of the highest trash pollution counts in all of Texas
TARGET AUDIENCE
Our target audience is anyone and everyone who wants to improve our world and clean up the mess we have created. We want to encourage everyone to do better with their garbage disposal practices and prevent our planet from getting more polluted.
