Eco-Consciousness of Foreign Workers in the US

[Hungary Jack]

This is not so much a rant as a question. We had some workers tuckpointing on the apartment complex next door. I think they were Polish, or of some other central-European nation. They certainly weren't born in the US (appeared to be communicating in a Slavic tongue).

Anyways these guys left behind a trail of empty soda cans and bottles in the back yard (I have squatter's rights there for a vegetable garden in exchange for keeping the grass tidy). It got me wondering if it is a common thing for foreigners to litter like this. Are these attitudes imported from other countries?

[Hudler]

I've noticed that people from the former Soviet-bloc countries are a lot less inclined to put trash where it belongs,or pick up after themselves in general.

[jim]

I would say in general though that European foreigners are orders of magnitude more eco-consciousness than in the US. We throw our empty beer can in the garbage ok, but the other stuff we do is far more dangerous.

I've had workers from Mexico and P. Rico working at our house several times and have never had a problem.

[Hungary Jack]

Yup. The vast majority of the workers we have had in our house have been incredibly conscientious--taking off their shoes, asking permission to do anything, cleaning up, etc. But I have noticed that the day laborers, regardless of ethnicity (but the vast majority are not US-born, seem to leave a trail of beverage bottle and cans. Not sure what to make of it, if anything.

It's no big deal. I am more vexed by the butt-heads who seem to think my backyard is a good place to dispose of used cigarettes.

[jim]

It's very unprofessional, regardless of where they come from.

[Hungary Jack]

It's pretty windy here today. Several beverage cans have blown off the flat roof of the 3-storey complex into the "back 40" (the yard where I grow my veggies, roses, and raspberries).