Dear Editor:

I can’t walk past a piece of trash, a can, a bottle, whatever, without picking it up. That habit comes with the territory of having been a school administrator for more than 20 years. When you spend decades telling students that good citizenship means putting litter where it belongs, in a trash can, you start practicing what you preach whether anyone’s watching or not.

On my daily walks, however, I’m continually impressed by the creative ways some individuals demonstrate the exact opposite lesson. The number of cans and bottles people carelessly launch from their car windows is astonishing. Apparently, the open road doubles as a recycling center—just without the recycling part.

It’s discouraging, disrespectful, wasteful, and, frankly, financially shortsighted. Which is why I’ve decided to stop being annoyed and have started treating it as a small economic miracle.

So to everyone "thoughtfully" distributing cans and bottles along our roadsides: thank you. I’ll be collecting them. My goal is to redeem enough returnables to buy a six pack of my favorite IPA. And when that day comes, you can be sure I’ll raise the bottle in appreciation before responsibly returning it where it belongs -- in a CLYNK bag at a nearby redemption center.

Charlie Britton

Southport