The most neglected impact of this massive waste generation is on wildlife. The trash that’s dumped in the environment proves injurious, and oftentimes fatal to birds, reptiles, and mammals. Since various types of waste do not readily disintegrate, they stay in the environment as a threat for decades.

Considering the amount of waste produced, it’s not surprising that trash is spoiling the beauty of the environment. Paper items alone constitute 40% of the garbage. Depending on the disintegration times of the garbage, the waste can last for very long periods. Some plastics, for instance, can take decades to break down, while aluminum cans do not disintegrate at all.

Litter is detrimental to wildlife in numerous ways. Broken glass can rip through the feet of coyotes, badgers, or foxes. Unbroken bottles aren’t safe either. Lizards tend to crawl inside them for food, seek protection, or bask warm interior but can face problems getting out and die of overheating. Small mammals often get their heads stuck in the opening of bottles and jars without lids. Various other plastic items, such as the plastic six-pack holders, can become traps for mammals, birds, and fish.

Some argue that litter also proves helpful to wildlife, claiming that foxes feed on leftovers from meals such as pieces of hamburgers, chicken bones, etc., from the garbage in urban areas. The same applies to pigeons that flap around food-laden garbage cans during daytime.

However, it’s important to understand that discarded human food is not necessarily good for wildlife. Various microorganisms cause the food to become contaminated, paving the way for food poisoning. Ruminants, such as deer, like to eat leftover bread and sweets, but such grain products tend to form gummy masses in their stomachs, disturbing their digestion. Ingesting too much food with a flour base can cause deer to die.

Also, all this makes wild animals accustomed to free handouts. If the source of human food is cut off at some point in time, they’ll be unprepared to hunt for food themselves.

Besides, among the gravest consequences of the global waste problem are those associated with waterways and marine life. Many aquatic animals, including, but not limited to fish, turtles, seals, and whales, end up consuming plastic or other trash. Since some species lack high acidic levels in their stomach to break down the objects they ingested, they starve to death.

Discarded fishing lines have been known to trap the wings, neck, or legs of moorhens, swans, and other waterfowl. Fishhooks can get stuck in birds’ throats. Lead poisoning is common for water birds after they accidentally swallow small lead fishing weights.