April 11, 2014 – Half Way There! 11 Days until Earth Day…
Litter cleanup costs an estimated $11.5 billion in the United States each year
Who’s to Pay?
Over 51 billion pieces of litter are thrown onto the roadways in the United States annually. The majority of these items are tobacco, plastic and paper products. However, most people remain completely unaware that we all pay for litter pickup through taxes. The majority of this cost is borne by businesses that are responsible for paying nearly 80 percent or $9.1 billion a year.
Where it Comes From
The vast majority of litter – 76 percent – appears to originate from motorists and pedestrians. The highest incidence of non-roadway litter was found at “transition points,” which are entrances to places like bus stops where someone consuming a food or tobacco product is required to discard the item before entering. 81 percent of littering observed was committed “with intent” by the individual, and was mainly attributable to a lack of individual awareness or sense of obligation.
Progress
There is a “green” lining however. Studies have shown that visible litter has decreased approximately 61 percent over the past 40 years. This improvement can almost certainly be attributed to organizations like Keep America Beautiful and individual states’ Departments of Transportation.
Helping Hands
Keep America Beautiful is the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization with 4.5 million volunteers. KAB is dedicated to community improvement primarily through litter prevention, beautification and recycling. They operate a number of volunteer programs including the Great American Cleanup and Littering is Wrong too in cities across the United States.
State Departments of Transportation offer statewide Adopt-a-Highway programs that allow groups and organizations to volunteer by cleaning up highway roadsides in exchange for a sign acknowledging their company’s contribution. This allows businesses to obtain significant visibility as well as create goodwill within the community by showing they are environmentally responsible.
Sponsor-a-Highway programs also exist where you can pay contractors to do the actual cleanups in your place. The exchange is still the same, a sign with your business’ name for a clean highway, but this option is considered much safer. Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corporation, for example, provides such a service to 20 states.
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