Has everyone taken a blind eye to the countless contributions granted by our?Mother Earth? The strength and sturdiness of an oak tree? The exotic marine life gathered in our ponds,?lakes, rivers?and oceans? Or?the sight and song?of birds perched on our trees as morning breaks? Please stop contaminating the earth with rubbish!
” In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.” – Aristotle
Litter accumulates in our environment and takes a substantial amount of time before it degrades. Degraded litter turns into sludge and becomes toxic. Hazardous litter contaminates the earth’s soil and spreads pollution in our air. Eighteen percent of litter is eventually blown into our country’s waterways.
Cigarette butts are?disposed of most frequently, with 4.5 trillion discarded annually, according to www.emagazine.com via Earth Talk. The most hazardous of items being?disposed of are tires. In 2007, two hundred sixty-two million tires were illegally disposed of in our country collecting stagnate rain water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitos and other pests. Breeding mosquitos carry the West Nile Virus and Malaria, which can be deadly to humans. Nesting rodents that can spread Hantavirus can?also be found in tires.
The act of littering is injurious to our animals, as well.?Birds and marine life often ingest cigarette butts that can clog their intestines. Plus they can get trapped in debris that can restrict their mobility, leading to suffocation or starvation.
The U.S. spends an estimated $11.5 billion yearly on the cleanup of litter. An estimated?51 billion pieces of garbage?are thrown on our roadways each year.
| Source: Cure Litter, Live Strong |
| Date Verified: 1.6.2013 |
| Littering Statistics | |
| Percent of people who have admitted to littering in the past 5 years | 75% |
| Percent of all littered items that are cigarette butts | 50% |
| Total amount of litter that is dumped into the ocean every year | 9 billion tons |
| Total annual amount spent on cleaning up litter yearly | $ll.5 billion |
| Average amount of steps a person will hold a piece of trash before they litter | 12 paces |
| Total amount of trash is generated each year in the U.S. | 250 million |
| Most Common Objects Used in Littering Statistics | |
| Object | Percentage |
| Fast Food Waste | 33% |
| Paper | 29% |
| Aluminum | 28% |
| Glass | 6% |
| Plastic | 2% |
| Other | 2% |
| Keep America Beautiful (KAB) and Auntie Litter are two well known groups offering education on the harmful effects of littering. Annually, KAB organizes a day called The?Great American Cleanup. In the year 2013 there were 4.5 million volunteers that returned 175 million dollars to 21,000 communities across the U.S.Great American Cleanup 2013 Official Results The following reflects Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup results. These figures were derived from reports obtained from KAB affiliates and Great American Cleanup participating organizations. EVENTS/VOLUNTEERSVolunteers/participants…………………………………………………………………………… 4.5 million
Volunteer hours……………………………………………………………………………………… 8.1 million Communities involved/events……………………………………………………………. 21,100/36,000 Community groups that participated……………………………………………………………… 20,600 COMMUNITY CLEANUPS Litter & debris collected (lbs.)…………………………………………………………………….. 40 million Roads, streets, highways cleaned/ beautified (miles)………………………………………… 81,000 Parks & public lands cleaned (acres)……………………………………………………………….. 81,000 Hiking, biking & nature trails cleaned (miles)……………………………………………………… 3,000 Playgrounds & community recreation areas cleaned/restored/constructed………….. 3,300 Rivers, lakes & shorelines cleaned (miles)………………………………………………………….. 8,400 Underwater cleanups conducted…………………………………………………………………………. 259 Wetlands cleaned & improved (acres)……………………………………………………………….. 4,300 Illegal dump sites cleaned………………………………………………………………………………. 12,300 COMMUNITY RECYCLING, REDUCING, REUSING Clothing collected for reuse (lbs.)…………………………………………………………………. 2 million Aluminum & steel recycled (lbs.)……………………………………………………………….. 7.1 million Newspaper recycled (lbs.)…………………………………………………………………………. 87 million Tires collected for recycling………………………………………………………………………. 7.2 million Batteries collected for recycling (lbs.)……………………………………………………………. 543,000 Electronics recycled (lbs.)…………………………………………………………………………. 8.8 million PET (plastic) bottles collected for recycling………………………………………………….. 93 million Glass collected for recycling (lbs.)………………………………………………………………. 6.3 million Household hazardous waste collected (lbs.).???????????.????????… 2.2 million Junk cars removed/collected for recycling…………………………………………………………. 1,800 COMMUNITY GREENING/BEAUTIFICATION Flowers & bulbs planted???????????????………………………………………… 1.5 million Beautification and community greening projects…………………………………………………. 2,100 Edible community gardens planted or replanted…………………………………………………. 1,200 Trees planted………………………………………………………………………………………………… 87,000 Residential & commercial buildings painted/renovated/ built………………………………….. 850 Graffiti removal/sites abated…………………………………………………………………………… 13,800 COMMUNITY EDUCATION Educational workshops held……………………………………………………………………………… 7,400 Educational workshop attendees (total)………………………………………………………. 3.8 million – Adults………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2.5 million – Youth (18 & under)………………………………………………………………………………. 1.3 million General awareness events held…………………………………………………………………………. 4,300 General awareness event attendees………………………………………………………….. 16.8 million Go to kab.org to find an area participating near you.
Everyone, please?take the initiative to stop littering, throw?your garbage in?proper waste disposals, it only takes minimal effort.?Start a weekly clean up?group in your neighborhood and educate your children on the harmful effects of littering. This would be a great way to spend quality time with family and friends, while enjoying the weather. Most of all take pride in Mother Earth and her abundance of gifts. Sources: www.statisticbrain.com/littering-statistics |
Edited/Published by: WG
