Litter Leads to Bad Things

One soda can thrown on the ground instead of in the trash leads to gang violence.

One fast food wrapper or napkin thrown out of your car's window promotes depression.

The above might sound impossible, but the concept that one small careless action can turn into larger problems is what the non-profit Keep Stamford Beautiful and a local ad agency want teens to understand.

They're launching a new campaign called "Litter Leads to Bad Things." You should start seeing ads that read: "Litter leads to cockroaches lead to rats lead to bacteria lead to disease and I will not share my block with those bad things" on the back of buses next week.  Over time, other versions of the ad will follow, such as "itter leads to neglect leads to vacant lots lead to gangs lead to fear lead to stress leads to depression and I will not contribute to those bad things."

The nationally known teen advertising agency, North Castle- which is located in Stamford, came up with the "domino effect" theory and language for the ads. The famous London-based design team of Kai and Sunny , known for their work with Nike and Levi's, was brought in for the visuals. The ads were created so that you see something new, like a wrapper or a rat, each time you look at it.

I came across the plans for the campaign by contacting Keep Stamford Beautiful after a concerned 15-year-old sent me an email to tell me that people who don't clean up after themselves BUG HIM! He wrote: "My mom, sister and I went to Cove Island Beach Park to have a day off and relax. But the problem was that the beach was completely filthy. There was bottles and garbage everywhere. My family and I have been living in this beautiful town for more then 14 years and never saw the beach so filthy. What can we do?"

Click here to watch the What's Bugging You with Esty. July 31st and after, you'll see the most recent "What's Bugging You" report.

Following the report, I received email from viewers letting me know it's not just people in Stamford who aren't picking up after themselves. Here is a response from Fairfield. " People in this are think they are so entitled, they simply do not think of other people or the consequences of their actions. As a frequent dog walker at The Cascades in Fairfield, I come face to face with filth on a daily basis. The very day I saw you report, I not only stepped in a pile of dog feces there, but then, 30 seconds later, caught a man urinating on a tree in the parking lot/picnic area, even though there were port-o-potties about 20 feet away." "Picnickers leave garbage, bones, food and broken glass."  Yet this viewers add she is glad that people like Esty exist in his generation.

Not every teen thinks like Esty. With Keep Stamford Beautiful,
North Castle did research in schools and found too many young people didn't think litter was their problem. The teens said trash already on the sidewalk was the city's or a neighbor's problem, but not theirs.

The campaign is based on the broken window theory, and designed to help teens understand the domino effect of what they do today, tomorrow and overtime, add up to serious consequences. It's meant to help instill a sense of self-respect and control of their environment.

Depending on funding, you'll continue to see the ads in such places as Metro North platforms and in schools. All involved are working on the campaign gratis, with Heyman Properites sponsoring the entire effort. If you would like to help with the "Litter Leads to Bad Things" effort, contact Ellen O'Neill, Executive Director of Keep Stamford Beautiful at 203-358-8268.