Yesterday I walked from Arana College into the university and I was ashamed of what I saw.
In the 290 metres that I walked, I saw hundreds of pieces of rubbish. Broken glass, a pile of cigarette butts, takeaway wrappers, beer cans…almost every type of rubbish imaginable except for condoms (which I have seen on previous trips). I was disgusted. I was embarrassed. I was ashamed. No wonder the albatross are regurgitating rubbish at Taiaroa Head. The streets of our city are filled with rubbish.
I was taught that rubbish should be put in a bin. Littering was bad. Recycling was good. When did people become so entitled that they think that the whole world is their personal trash can? When did people stop caring about how their community looks? When did we stop caring for the environment? I thought students were supposed to be enlightened and our future. I don’t want the future that I saw yesterday. I am ashamed to live in a city with so little respect for others and the environment.
Dunedin is Rubbish.
- Zoe Henderson
