Litter Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. Litter can also be used as a verb; to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

is an

environmental issue Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...

and littering is often a criminal offense, punishable with a

fine Fine may refer to: Characters * Sylvia Fine (''The Nanny''), Fran's mother on ''The Nanny'' * Officer Fine, a character in ''Tales from the Crypt'', played by Vincent Spano Legal terms * Fine (penalty), money to be paid as punishment for an offe ...

as set out by statutes in many places. __NOTOC__ Litter laws, enforcement efforts, and

court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in acco ...

prosecutions are used to help curtail littering. All three are part of a "comprehensive response to environmental violators", write Epstein and Hammett, researchers for the

United States Department of Justice The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United Stat ...

. Littering and dumping laws, found in all fifty

, appear to take precedence over

municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

ordinances in controlling violations and act as public safety, not aesthetic measures. Similar from state-to-state, these laws define who violators are, the type or "function" of the person committing the action, and what items must be littered or dumped to constitute an illegal act.

Municipal A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

ordinances and state statutes require a "human action" in committing illegal littering or dumping, for one to be "held in violation." Most states require law enforcement officers or designated, authorized individuals, to "...witness the illegal act to write a citation." Together, prosecutions and punitive fines are important in fighting illegal littering and dumping. A significant portion of litter along roadways in the U.S. is now being attributed to improperly tarped vehicles such as open-bed vehicles as well as trash and recycling collection vehicles that have not been properly secured. A national survey of United States prosecutors noted the most important factor in prosecuting an offense was the "degree of harm" a violation posed and the "criminal intent" of the offender. America's most prosecuted littering offense involve illegal hazardous waste disposals.

Civil Civil may refer to: *Civic virtue, or civility *Civil action, or lawsuit * Civil affairs *Civil and political rights *Civil disobedience *Civil engineering *Civil (journalism), a platform for independent journalism *Civilian, someone not a membe ...

and criminal fines are the "most common strategy governments use to control environmental behaviors." Most offenders settle outside of court. For small littering, a monetary penalty and/or a specified number of hours picking up litter or

community service Community service is unpaid work performed by a person or group of people for the benefit and betterment of their community without any form of compensation. Community service can be distinct from volunteering, since it is not always performe ...

is the typical punishment. Going to jail for a littering/dumping conviction is rare. For example, in California the punishment for first-time littering ''starts'' at a minimum $250 fine and eight hours of picking up roadside litter. A defendant's third offense and all subsequent offenses are punished with a maximum penalty of a $3,000 fine and 24 hours of litter cleanup (per offense). Such penalties are often prominently posted on roadside signs. In Idaho, the Comprehensive Litter Prevention and Abatement Act was signed into law in 2006. Litterers can be fined up to $180 when including a subcharge of US$80 and be ordered to clean a littered area in the community. In

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

State, the littering of (especially lit) cigarettes can incur a fine of up to $500. During the summer months, drought-like conditions and tinder-dry forests, lit or smoldering debris have started many

wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identif ...

. State litter surveys have shown that an average of 352 pounds of litter is picked up for every mile of highway including about 3,000 cigarette butts. In 2002, some 350 car accidents involved litter or road debris. In the state of

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

, throwing a lighted cigarette or other tobacco product is a Class B misdemeanor, and is punishable by a fine of up to $2,500 and 5 years in prison. This is in addition to penalties for "placing offensive substances in waters, on highways or other property" which is a Class A misdemeanor and carries with it a maximum fine of $6,250 and 10 years in prison.

Littering Surveys and Rankings

Since the 1970s, over 70 studies measuring littering, its contents and impacts on local and state governments, have taken place in both the United States and Canada, according to ''Reducing Litter on Roadsides'' by the Transportation Board of the National Research Academies. More recently, litter has been identified as a problem for storm water systems, prompting litter surveys to determine the characterization of storm water trash and the extent to which various components of litter contribute to this problem.

Citizen Cleanup in the United States

The "Caught Doing Good!" campaign, started by the Pennsylvania Resources Council, implemented a system that rewarded citizens who were caught using proper receptacles to dispose of their trash in city streets. National CleanUp Day is held annually on the third Saturday in September.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Keep America Beautiful
* National Cleanup Day Environmental issues in the United States Law of the United States *

Littering Surveys and Rankings

Citizen Cleanup in the United States

See also

References

External links