Litter Education
As you probably are well aware, litter is a major problem in Limestone County. Litter is misplaced, improperly handled waste.
Do you ever wonder where all the litter comes from or why people litter in the fist place? Keep America Beautiful, our national parent organization, has done a 3 year study to answer these questions.
Click here for Litter Facts and Cigarette Litter
What is litter?
Litter is solid waste discarded in an inappropriate place made up of more than 150 different items from seven basic sources:
- Household Garbage Cans
- Commercial Trash Containers
- Loading and Unloading Operations
- Construction Sites
- Uncovered Trash Hauling Trucks
- Motorists
- Pedestrians
Why do people litter?
That's a good question. There are lots of reasons that come to mind. The Keep America Beautiful study found that there are basically three reasons why people litter.
- People tend to litter where litter already exists
- People litter where they feel no sense of ownership
- People litter when they think someone will come behind them and clean it up
Where does the litter go?
Litter moves - it spreads in all directions from sources until it gets trapped in such areas as fences and wall bases, along planted areas, embankments and storm drains. Once litter accumulates, it invites people to add more. Litter travels by four methods:
- Wind
- Water
- Vehicles
- Animals
How can I reduce litter?
As a homeowner or renter:
- Have enough trash cans
- Keep lids tightly secured
- Bag trash to keep it from scattering
As a pedestrian:
- Keep litter until reaching a trash container
As a motorist or passenger:
- Carry and use a litter bag in your automobile
- Used grocery bags work great. Just use it, toss it, and replace it!
As a truck operator:
- Secure and cover loads - IT'S THE LAW!
As a business owner:
- Keep your dumpster area free of debris
- Work with the Recycling Center to recycle your cardboard and office paper -- join the program they'll - PICK IT UP!
As a concerned citizen:
- Encourage others to take pride in a clean Athens and Limestone County
- Participate in the Great American Cleanup -- an annual grassroots event to clean up our communities
- Be a good example to your children and friends -- NEVER litter.
- Recycle
Learn about how you can recycle:
As resources become more scarce, it makes sense -- and CENTS -- to recycle. Recycling saves valuable landfill space, natural resources and energy. And your organization can benefit from recycling, too! Use recycling as a fundraiser. Find out more about this and other recycling issues by visiting our Recycling Pages.