I am walking down the street with my dog. His name is Moony and as we walk he turns his head to look back at me with a smile on his face. “Just checking on you,” he seems to say. Every once in a while he will sneak an acorn into his mouth and eat it. As acorns mess with his digestive system I am not pleased with this, but have a hard time keeping every acorn away from him. We continue on until he stops in his tracks after making the “eating something” movement. He gags and convulses as he throws up. I am disturbed to see in the fresh pile of vomit a sharp piece of plastic. I am not exactly sure what it came from, but it was obviously once packaging.
I am suddenly so terrified for my pet. There are so many pieces of plastic packaging that end up on the road and I am not the only one who walks there dog here. Not to mention how many wild animals must traverse this street. Anything could easily pick up some of this trash and eat it, not knowing what damage it could do.
Every time I go to the store I see all of this packaging that in my eyes is not doing much for the product. I have seen bananas and oranges in plastic when they already have their own natural protective casing. I am displeased as I drive to see the sides of what is supposed to be one of the most scenic and beautiful places littered with garbage.
If companies could start adopting a more environmental friendly packaging then maybe I wouldn’t have to fear for my dog’s life. I could rest easy knowing that companies cared not just for their product and sales, but for me and my family as well. I also want to drive and see the beauty that lay in the land not the trashed remains of a sale.
I have done my best over the years to clean up after myself and even others, but the extensive amount of waste factories create is too much for me to handle. More plastics will be distributed over the earth than I could ever clean up. Even if I did, not much could be done
Essay by: Emily Twisselman
Monterey Peninsula College