Why some in NJ need to pay more attention where they throw away their trash

Although most in New Jersey tend to follow the rules without issue, there are others who feel the rules and laws are below them. When it comes to those people, it might take more than a gentle nudge to get them to change their behaviors.

Then there are those who may break a rule here and there without even realizing it. Sometimes, it's just honest mistakes. For example, think about how many pens we take from places without realizing it until it's too late.

Parents can also mistakenly do this because they're distracted dealing with their own children. Think about when the kids might grab something at the supermarket without the parent realizing it until they get home. It's completely unintentional, and it happens to so many of us.

The same thing can be said when we throw away our trash in public. Yes, there are public garbage cans scattered about in different settings, and we tend to try and make sure we discard our waste properly. However, when you're in one of New Jersey's downtowns, you might get thrown off at first by where the garbage cans are.

And it's not something that we necessarily do on purpose. But rather it's a situation of mistaking something for a garbage can when it indeed isn't.

Many downtowns in New Jersey have plants along their main streets. Usually, as the seasons change, these planters will have different plants growing in them. During the fall, for example, some might have mums growing out of them.

And during the spring and summer, it's usually some variety of summer flowers. It's a way to help make the landscape along downtowns stand out more with vegetation and a splash of color.

That's all well and good for most of the year, but what about winter? During the colder months, these planters might sit empty. And that's usually when the most confusion happens with some of these planters.

It's easy to see why some people would mistake them for garbage cans. A lot of downtowns in New Jersey have frames around them that look very similar to the ones you'd find a garbage can in. And in some cases, it may look exactly the same.

During the warmer months, it's simply a matter of paying attention. If you see a plant growing out of it, it's not a garbage barrel. It seems pretty straightforward, but yet, some people still throw their garbage away in it.

Sometimes it's just a little bit of trash, while others might have tons of litter in them. And it's very unfortunate that this happens.

As mentioned earlier, for some people it's an honest mistake. But for others, it might have to do more with convenience. If it looks like a garbage can, then why not use it?

And then there are those who use them as their own personal ashtray. I suppose it's better than throwing the butt onto the ground, but do we really want these inside the planters as well?

Fortunately, some towns do have ashtrays for smokers so this shouldn't be a problem in those cases. And usually, those tend to be a bit smaller than the planters making them easier to identify.

Maybe some downtowns don't have enough of these ashtrays around for smokers in areas smoking is allowed, which is why they use the planters. It's definitely something downtowns should consider having enough of.

Even with those, however, trash still manages to find its way in.

When it comes to being lazy, there's no excuse. And that laziness is even more evident when the garbage can is right by the planter. It doesn't seem that difficult to figure out. Unfortunately for some, they don't seem to care.

Yes, these frames that hold the planters can look remarkably similar to the garbage cans. It's understandable why some people make the mistake, especially in winter when there's nothing growing out of them.

So the next time you're downtown, please take note to see what you're about to throw your trash in before doing it. It goes a long way in helping keep our towns throughout New Jersey beautiful and litter-free.