Litter consists of waste products such as containers, papers, wrappers or feces which have been disposed of without consent. Litter can also be used as a verb. To litter means to throw (often man-made) objects onto the ground and leave them unremoved, as opposed to disposing of them properly.
It is a human impact on the environment and is a serious environmental issue in many countries. Litter can exist in the environment for long periods of time before degrading and be transported large distances into the world's oceans. Litter can affect quality of life.
Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world, with 4.5 trillion discarded annually. The cellulose acetate butts are not biodegradable and, as a result, their chemical decomposition can take many decades.[1]
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Throughout human history, people have disposed of unwanted materials onto streets, countrysides and remote places, unpunished.[2] Prior to reforms within cities in the mid-to-late 19th century, sanitation was not a priority on governments' lists of things to do. Waste was disposed of by the roadside or in small local dumps. It was unsanitary for local inhabitants and the growing piles of waste led to the spread of disease. The only known pre-modern exception, however, was the Arab Empire, especially in Cordoba, Al-Andalus, which had facilities for litter collection.[3]
In the 14th century, the rise of waste in Europe helped contribute to the bubonic plague. Black rats, carrying the fleas which were the vectors for the plague, fed off the food scraps. Many plagues were started from litter.
In addition to intentional littering, almost half of litter on U.S. roadways is now a result of accidental or unintentional litter, usually debris that falls off of improperly secured trash and recycling collection vehicles and pickup trucks.[4] Population levels, traffic density and proximity to waste disposal sites are factors known to correlate with higher litter rates.[5][6][7][8][9] Government neglect, the inability of governments to remove litter in a timely manner, is also a reason why humans are tempted to litter.[10]
According to a study by the Dutch organisation VROM, 80% of the people claim that "everybody leaves of a piece of paper, tin or something, on the street behind". Young people from 12 to 24 years cause more litter than the average (Dutch or Belgian) person. 18% of people who regularly cause litter were 50 years of age or older. Nevertheless, automobile drivers and recreationalists, smokers and the youth are specific target groups within many campaigns conducted to keep countries free of litter.
Litter can remain either visible or for extended periods of time before it eventually biodegrades, with some items made of condensed glass, styrofoam or plastic possibly remaining in the environment for over a million years.[11][12][13]
About 18% of litter, usually traveling through stormwater systems, ends up in local streams, rivers, and waterways. Uncollected litter can accrete and flow into streams, local bays and estuaries. Litter in the ocean either washes up on beaches or collects in Ocean gyres such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. About 80% of marine debris comes from land-based sources[14].
Some litter that is collected can be recycled, however degraded litter cannot be recycled and eventually degrades to sludge, often toxic. The majority of litter that is collected goes to landfill.
Litter can harm humans and the environment in a number of different ways.
Visual pollution is a major effect of litter.
It can be a breeding ground for disease-causing insects and rodents. Open containers such as paper cups or beverage cans can hold rainwater, providing breeding locations for mosquitoes which have been known to spread diseases such as West Nile Virus and Malaria.
Litter can be hazardous. Debris falling from vehicles is an increasing cause of automobile accidents.[15] Over 800 Americans are killed each year in debris/litter-attributed motor vehicle collisions. [16] Discarded dangerous goods, sharps waste and pathogens resulting from litter can cause accidental harm to humans.
Litter also carries substantial cost to the economy. Cleaning up litter in the U.S. costs hundreds of dollars per ton, about ten times more than the cost of trash disposal, for a cost totaling about $11 billion per year.[5][17]
Animals may get trapped or poisoned with litter in their habitats. Cigarette butts and filters are a threat to wildlife and have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds and whales, who have mistaken them for food.[18]
Organic litter in large amounts can cause water pollution and lead to algal blooms.[19]
Litter is an environmental issue in many countries around the world. While countries in the third world lack the resources to deal with the issue, consumer based economies in the western world are capable of generating larger quantities of litter per capita due to a higher consumption of disposable products and Consumables.
Public waste containers or street bins are provided by local authorities to provide a convenient place for the disposal and collection of litter. Increasingly both general waste and recycling options are provided. Local councils pick the waste up and take it to refuse or recycling. However there are issues with this approaches. If the bins are not regularly emptied, then overfilling of bins and can increase litter indirectly. Some local authorities will only take responsibility for rubbish that is placed in the bins, which means that litter remains a problem. People may blame a lack of well placed bins for their littering. Hazardous materials may be incorrectly disposed of in the bins and they can encourage dumpster diving.
Volunteers, sometimes alone or coordinated through organisations will pick up litter and dispose of it. Clean up events are sometimes organised where participants will sometimes comb an area in a line to ensure that no litter is missed. Increasingly geocaching is used (see Cache In Trash Out)
Picking up litter can be hazardous. Hazards can include exposure to dangerous goods, sharps waste and pathogens. As a result, safety equipment is sometimes worn and tools such as litter grabbers (extendable arms) are used.
Container deposit legislation can be aimed at both reduce littering and also encouraging picking up through local recycling programs that offer incentives, particularly for aluminium cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles.
Litter traps can be used to capture litter as it exits stormwater drains into waterways. However they are only effective for large or floating items of litter.
Some countries and local authorities have introduced legislation to address the problem.
Actions resulting in fines can include on-the-spot fines for individuals administered by authorised officers in public or on public transport or littering from a vehicle, in which the vehicle owner is fined - reported by either responsible officer or third party, sometimes online.[20][21]
Specific legislation exists in the following countries:
A number of organisations exist with the aim of raising awareness and run campaigns including clean up events. Clean Up the World is a worldwide campaign.
In the United States there are a number of organisations running anti-litter campaigns. Keep America Beautiful was founded in 1953. High profile local campaigns include Don't Mess with Texas started in 1986.
In Australia, Clean Up Australia Day is supported by many major Australian companies, firms and volunteers alike. Anti-litter organisations include Keep Australia Beautiful founded in 1963 that created the popular “Do the Right Thing” campaign and its Tidy Towns competition became well known being a very competitive expression of civic pride.
Keep Britain Tidy is a British campaign run by the Keep Britain Tidy environmental charity, which is part funded by the U.K. government.