Of all the problems facing our communities today, we ran upon one that is 100 percent fixable with zero additional cost.

The problem is unsightly litter that affects the way our communities look and leaves a lasting – albeit subtle – impression on visitors whether they want to return and continue spending money here. We ran upon these thoughts recently when we received a letter about litter in downtown Easley

This will seem a petty argument to many at first, but consider the logic in flicking a cigarette butt into the mulch around Old Market Square in Easley or plopping your baby’s nasty diaper next to the sidewalk of Pickens Main Street.

Both communities – Easley and Pickens – have spent tens of thousands of dollars on brick and mortar improvements to the appearance of downtowns. Both have spent hundreds of dollars each on trash cans to hold refuse and prevent it from blowing down the street. City employees in both places spend time and earn tax dollars to empty the receptacles. The perceived payoff is for residents and visitors alike to find a friendlier place to come to and spend money. Why would we spend thousands to let cigarette butts and paper bags and dirty diapers muck it all up.

The answer is simple in downtown Easley and Pickens. Take your own trash bag for your own trash and leave it in your car until you get home or walk it over to a trash can. In downtown Easley, you can find a trash can about every 30 yards or so. We can’t endorse dropping a smoldering cigarette butt in with the paper trash, but we know enough smokers to understand how to break down the remains of a smoke.

When finished relaxing with a cigarette, take another 15 seconds to crush out the fire and coals then use your thumb and forefinger to separate the remaining tobacco and paper from the filter. It is the filter that can lie around in the mulch for a decade. Then you can safely drop the filter into the aforementioned trash receptacle or stick it in your own pocket.

The answer is childishly simple. Be an adult.