Every Piece of Litter Matters
A single piece of litter can have a much bigger impact than most people realize. Wind, rain, traffic, and wildlife can carry trash far from where it was dropped, spreading pollution throughout our communities and natural spaces.
Harm to Wildlife
Animals can become trapped in plastic bags, fishing line, six-pack rings, cans, and other litter. Others mistake trash for food, swallowing items that can cause choking, illness, or even death. Because plastic doesn’t break down inside an animal’s body, it can prevent them from getting the nutrition they need.
Even leftover food tossed from a car window can create problems by attracting wildlife to roads, where animals and drivers are at greater risk of collisions.
Effects on People and Communities
Litter makes parks, trails, lakes, and neighborhoods less enjoyable for everyone. It can also create dangerous conditions, with broken glass and sharp metal posing risks to children, pets, cyclists, and visitors.
Trash can attract pests like rats and mosquitoes, reduce property values, discourage tourism, and cost communities thousands of dollars in cleanup efforts each year.
By disposing of waste properly, everyone can help protect wildlife, keep public spaces safe, and create cleaner, healthier communities.
Littering and the Law
“Section 3709 of the Pennsylvania Vehicle Code provides for a fine of up to $300 for dropping, throwing or depositing, upon any highway, or upon any other public or private property without the consent of the owner thereof or into or on the waters of the Commonwealth from a vehicle, any waste paper, sweepings, ashes, household waste, glass, metal, refuse or rubbish, or any dangerous or detrimental substance or permitting any of the preceding without immediately removing such items or causing their removal.
For any violation of Section 3709, you may be subject to a fine of up to $300 upon conviction, including any violation resulting from the conduct of any other persons operating, in possession of or present within the vehicle with your permission, if you do not with reasonable certainty identify the driver of the vehicle at the time the violation occurred.”
The above mentioned law, is the law most people are aware of, but it is not the only law of its kind. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has a list of pertinent littering and illegal dumping laws in PA.
Litter Prevention Tips
The act of littering can be accidental, such as when a piece of paper blows out a car window, or it can be a deliberate action. In either case sources of litter include:
- Pedestrians
- Motorists
- Trucks hauling unsecured loads
- Commercial refuse sources (such as dumpsters)
- Construction/demolition sites
- Household trash cans invaded by scavengers or knocked over by the wind
- Entertainment Events such as fairs and concerts
A Keep America Beautiful study found that people who litter do so for one of three reasons:
- Feel no sense of ownership for the property
- Believe that someone else will clean up after them
- Litter has already accumulated in that area.
By knowing these possible sources of litter, and the mindset of litterers preventative steps can be taken.
- Set an example by not littering. Carry a trash bag in your car or put trash in your pocket until you find a container.
- Pick up one piece of litter each day, or become involved with a cleanup event. If an area is already littered, people are more likely to add to it. People think twice before littering in areas with no visible litter. See Cleanup Resources for more details
- Plant and maintain flowers along a curb or sidewalk. People are less likely to litter in areas that are beautified.
- Make sure your outside garbage/recycling bins have lids or are secured in such a way that the wind cannot knock them over, scattering the trash.
- Ask business owners to check their dumpsters every day to make sure tops and side doors are closed. Review the Guide to Reducing Litter, Managing Trash, and Recycling for Convenience Stores for instituting a more detailed program.
- Provide sufficient trash and recycling receptacles at events such as fair, concerts, and even family picnics and make sure they are emptied often as to not overflow.
