When you go to a local park, what do you see? You may see people walking their dogs, kids playing, or some wildlife, like geese.

While these sights tend to be pleasant, there is often one thing you see that isn't pleasant at all; litter. Litter is everywhere. Just walk down the street, and you are bound to see people's trash everywhere. It's unfortunate that so many people litter and think that it's okay to just throw their trash wherever. So for those of you who litter, you need to stop. Right now.

It's not that hard to throw your waste away. There are often trash cans everywhere in public places, and even if there aren't, it's not too difficult to carry your trash until you find one. Leaving your trash outside is pure laziness and shows no respect for where you live. By littering, you are harming the Earth and the wildlife that inhabits it.

18% of all littered items end up in waterways. This can lead to polluted streams and rivers, which negatively impact the quality of drinking water and the environment of animals who live in these waterways, like fish. Litter can even eventually end up in the oceans, negatively impacting an even bigger ecosystem that covers most of our planet. There are 5.25 billion pieces of plastic debris in the oceans. The staggering number of plastic debris in the oceans kills marine life and litter beaches.

Littering is also common on roadways. Over 51 billion pieces of litter are on U.S. roadways every year. Again, this shows that littering comes from a place of laziness and ignorance; people just want to get rid of their trash and do not consider where they are putting it.

Not only is littering unsightly, harmful to the Earth, and degrading ecosystems, litter is also expensive. Littering cleanup costs the U.S. more than $11.5 billion every year. Businesses often end up covering these cleanup costs.

Next time you are out and accumulate garbage, make sure to throw it away or, even better, recycle it if possible. Make a conscious effort to dispose of your trash properly rather than thoughtlessly leaving it wherever. You wouldn't leave trash laying around at someone else's home, so don't leave trash laying around on our planet.