What's wrong with litter?

Why is litter bad?

Litter is ugly. It hurts our communities, the environment, and our economy. A littered community sends the message that there is a lack of pride and care about the community. Well-maintained neighborhoods are not only safer and healthier places, but discourage crime and vandalism by demonstrating the concern and care of residents.

Litter is dangerous to land, water, and animals. Some items contain toxic materials that cause chemical pollution. Animals can become entangled in litter or ingest litter and die. Research tells us that 18% of all littered items end up in our waterways as pollution.

The impact on the economy is real. Each year, South Carolina spends millions of dollars to pick up litter. Tourism is affected by litter as well. If tourists think that an area is littered and unattractive, it is unlikely that they will return. Businesses also take into account the cleanliness and appearance of areas where they are thinking to locate. If an area is littered and covered in grafitti, it is unlikely to attract new businesses.


Where does litter come from?

Litter does not just appear. Litter is misplaced waste. Knowing more about the causes of litter and where it comes from is a good place to start in addressing litter prevention. What we do know is that there are seven primary sources of litter:

1. Pedestrians who do not use receptacles.
2. Motorists who do not use car ashtrays or litterbags.
3. Business dumpsters that are improperly covered.
4. Loading docks with inadequate waste receptacles.
5. Construction and demolition sites without tarps and receptacles to contain debris and waste.
6. Trucks with uncovered loads.
7. Household trash scattered before or during collection.

Litter is easily blown by the wind and traffic or carried by rainwater into public spaces like parks, roadways and community stormwater systems.

Why do people litter?

Research by Keep America Beautiful has determined that people litter because:

1. They feel no sense of ownership, even though areas such as parks and beaches are public property.
2. They believe someone else—a park maintenance or highway worker— will pick up after them.
3. Litter already has accumulated.

Additional research sources have identified locations that may become littered. These locations fall into three categories: special event venues, everyday locations and transition points.

Special Event Venues attract a large number of people who will generate waste. Event planners and participants can make the event "waste wise/litter free" if they plan ahead this with vendors who service the event. The number of waste and recycling receptacles needs to match the potential volume of waste. Large events warrant high volume, well-marked receptacles. Volunteers strategically placed near these receptacles will ensure a high level of participation by attendees.

Everyday Locations are fast food businesses, convenience stores, picnic grounds, park benches and other high pedestrian traffic areas. Every community has businesses selling consumable products that generate packaging waste. Every community has benches in parks, and seating at bus stops and picnic areas where people will eat their lunch brought from home or food, beverages or snacks just purchased. These spots need properly maintained ash/trash receptacles nearby that are easily identified and serviced regularly.

Transition Points are the places someone stops to eat, drink or smoke before they proceed. It may be the entrance to a public building, an office, a retail establishment, a train platform or bus stop. It is the place where strategically placed ash/trash receptacles will quickly and easily capture discarded papers, cans and cigarette butts. The consumer will drop these items before they move into a building, onto a bus or into the train. Identifying these Transition Points in communities and equipping them with ash/trash receptacles that are regularly and properly maintained will reduce litter and improve a community’s appearance.


Who litters?

There is no such thing as a littering type. People of all ages and social backgrounds have been observed littering ... men and women are equally likely to litter.

(Adapted from Keep America Beautiful, Inc.)