DON'T BE A DUFUS, DON'T LITTER!
- Russell Sandvold
- Mar 27, 2015
- 2 min read
There are numerous ways you can prevent further harm to our planets fragile ecosystems and one of the easiest is to keep these ecosystems litter free. Find a trash can or even better a recycling bin for your refuse, or hold onto it until you find one. If a raccoon can do it, we all can do it!
According to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety's website, near $11.5 billion dollars is spent every year on the removal of litter! Over $2.4 billion of this money comes from government efforts, which is money that could be spent on something far more productive, such as improving our public schools! And, although burrito's account for very little of the damage being done, throwing them out your window is still strongly discouraged.
The majority of litter is located along U.S. roadways and in commercial areas, and 37% of this litter comes from tobacco products, which is almost twice as much as from any other category, including plastic and paper! So smokers, although your cigarette butts may seem small and somewhat harmless, their collective footprint is massive. One way to help fight this particular issue is switching to vaping devices with refillable cartridges, as they produce less waste.
An observational study done by the Keep America Beautiful organization shows that 85% of littering is done intentionally, which shows littering in our country is a behavioral problem. It also may surprise many of us (including me), that younger peoples are the most likely perpetrators, showing that littering is as much our generations fault as our parents and grandparents. One of the best ways to combat littering is educating others on the damage caused by littering, the KAB study shows people who believe littering is bad are far less likely to litter!
To read the full Keep America Beautiful report click on the first link, or for more litter facts from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, click on the second link...
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