Walking across the streets of Seoul or Tokyo, you wouldn’t be able to spot a single trash can. Considering this, one would assume the streets would be piled high with litter. Yet somehow it is the opposite: their streets are spotless.
Here in the United States (US), the situation is reversed: Trash cans are abundant. We probably have over 100 just within our school alone. However, while we have been given the resources to stay clean, litter is still everywhere.
Comparing the subway in Seoul to New York’s, there is such an obvious contrast between cleanliness; one is polished and organized, while the other is trashed and uncared for.
Our country has long been aware of this matter, though, and many efforts have been enforced or attempted to help solve this problem. For instance, there have been cleanup programs introduced, and even campaigns supporting anti-littering. Yet these efforts do not seem to have made much of an impact. Adding more trash cans to the thousands we already have will not make it any better.
A lot of citizens here expect the custodians to handle all the cleaning, and believe that it isn’t their job to pick up after themselves. This mindset has been deeply engraved among many in the United States, and has now become a habit that is difficult to break.
Observing East Asian countries makes it even more evident that infrastructure alone is clearly not the solution to improving cleanliness.
The most important difference truly lies in mindset. In countries like Korea and Japan, their citizens are taught (usually from an early age) to respect shared spaces. As there is a strong social stigma against littering, people are extremely looked down upon if they leave any trash behind.
On the contrary, many of our citizens here wouldn’t even blink an eye at a candy wrapper on the ground, an issue largely due to the lack of awareness and accountability.
They are also taught how to behave socially, which is another crucial part in why the culture and cleanliness of East Asia are on a whole different level from ours. The citizens there are constantly reminded that cleanliness is everyone’s responsibility.
They know how to form an understanding of community and collectiveness among one another, enabling them to successfully maintain a clean world around them.
The discipline that the Japanese have developed in their culture goes far beyond just cleanliness. Not only contributing to their spotless streets, this mindset has helped Japan and other east Asian countries keep low crime rates and an overall better sense of safety.
Especially in our current society in the US, people often display forceful and aggressive actions towards activities or laws that they do not agree with, and in turn, they begin to disregard the importance of cooperation, respect, and responsibility.
Cultural values can deeply shape our behavior in all aspects of society, not just cleanliness.
Again, it’s not about making more rules. Rules will not help unless we begin to acknowledge the accountability and respect that must be present among everyone in order to maintain a clean society like those of East Asian countries.