essay on littering pollution

Science Connected Magazine

Science Literacy, Education, Communication

How the History of Littering Should Impact the Solution

Littering has wreaked havoc on ecosystems all over the world. What do we do now to amend the global problem of chronic waste?

By Emily Folk

A single plastic bottle can take up to 450 years  to degrade.

Today, we know the impact littering has on our environment and human health. With access to the Internet and social media platforms, we witness the havoc pollution has wreaked on ecosystems all over the world. Solving the littering issue can seem like an insurmountable challenge. However, there are ways to amend the global problem of chronic waste, even though it may initially seem overwhelming.

Kids learn the definition of a “litterbug” starting in elementary school and receive regular reminders not to throw trash on the sidewalk. For decades, the conversation around litter points the finger to the consumer—the person throwing trash out their car window or tossing food wrappers in the park. 

When finding a solution to littering, we need to examine its history. Discussions for the past few decades have placed the responsibility of preventing litter on the individual. In actuality,  much of the blame goes to the industries that create waste in the first place. 

Litter isn’t the problem. It is simply a by-product of a convenience-oriented economy. If you look at the history of litter, there remains one constant. Production of trash, including plastic packaging and aluminum cans, has continued to grow. Despite efforts to reduce waste and promote recycling, corporations like Coca-Cola continue to produce plastic pollution at an unsustainable level.

Litter would not exist if it were not for the businesses that created disposable packaging and capitalized off their invention. The primary anti-litter campaign, Keep America Beautiful, was founded by the very companies producing the waste. 

Sustainable solutions to litter involve looking at the role of the packaging and bottling industry. To truly put an end to littering, we need to put more accountability on corporations to reduce the amount of waste they create in the first place.

The Keep America Beautiful Campaign

Keep America Beautiful is perhaps the most well-known anti-litter movement in the United States. Founded in 1953, this organization works to inspire and educate people on improving their communities. Today, it leads initiatives such as the Great American Cleanup and America Recycles Day. 

Volunteer efforts funded by this organization are significant in slowing environmental harm. Annual events take place all across the country. The collective effort results in an impactful reduction in waste pollution in public places and along roadways.

However, most people are unfamiliar with the organization’s origin. When states began responding to the litter problem, the packaging and beverage industry worried the message would undermine their business models. Their profits demanded disposable cans and food packaging. So they founded Keep America Beautiful, which put the litter problem back on the people and out of the hands of corporations.

The packaging industry relied on convincing people they needed to buy more stuff and that these items would undergo a cycle of becoming trash almost immediately. Society had to be trained to dispose of single-use plastic. The bottle and can industry used the power of advertising to convince consumers that the things they were reusing, like glass bottles, were garbage. 

The Recycling Movement

Following the rise of disposable products, advertisers convinced Americans they needed convenience above all else. In the post-World War II era, marketers sold the American society the idea of microwaveable dinners they could consume in front of the TV. These companies also marketed plastic soda bottles that did not require reuse. In the 1970s, consumers became increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of waste sent to landfills. 

In response, Keep America Beautiful founded another organization, the National Center for Resource Recovery. With serious lobbying efforts, this initiative persuaded state legislators to favor recycling over reusing or reducing consumer goods. The Container Corporation of America invented and funded the phrase “reduce, reuse and recycle.”

By creating the recycling movement, corporations extended their influence across all levels of policy development. Most notably, they actively limited policies that would require corporations to take responsibility for their own waste management. Between 1989 and 1994, Keep America Beautiful spent over $14 million in lobbying efforts to limit recycling policies and let consumers bear responsibility.

The recycling movement has a dirty secret, too. For decades, anti-litter advertisements, including Keep America Beautiful’s infamous “Crying Indian” PSA video, have distracted consumers from making a real impact. Today, people are well-aware that recycling doesn’t always work. Corporations benefited from the recycling industry’s inefficiency, setting up recycling initiatives to fail from the beginning. 

Most of the recycling collected by municipalities in the last thirty years has been shipped to China, where it was most often dumped into the ocean or added to landfills with little to no environmental standards. 

Littering Corporations and the Circular Economy

The contemporary equivalent of the first anti-litter campaign is the corporate standard of a circular economy. Circular economies keep products and materials in continuous use, extending their lifetime and reducing the amount of waste generated from the system as a whole. Also referred to as a closed-loop system or cradle-to-cradle, the concept is only successful if it radically changes consumerism on a global scale — instead of making more plastic out of recycled materials. 

If you look at the fashion industry, companies like H&M are making sustainability efforts that drastically overstate their ability to combat pollution. Creating clothes out of recycled materials may sound like a great idea, but if the growth potential remains the same, the impact does not change. 

According to a study conducted by Greenpeace, Coca-Cola generates over  100 billion plastic bottles  annually. A so-called circular economy may devolve into a form of greenwashing that enables unsustainable business models to persist without making real change. There is a real concern that the concept of a circular economy may award companies for their “sustainability” efforts while simultaneously allowing them to continue polluting at the same rate.  

Recently, Coca-Cola has also announced a new initiative, launching their campaign of Coke bottles consisting of plastic from the sea. This concept might seem more optimistic if it were not for the fact that they are largely responsible for the plastic being in the sea in the first place. While the concept of a circular economy is promising, the way companies implement it will ultimately make the most significant impact.

Littering and the Individual  

Modern consumers are demanding transparency. More so than ever before, buyers are supporting companies that engage in sustainable practices. People are increasingly aware that recycling is not a single solution. Lifestyles that advocate for buying less, like minimalism, are becoming mainstream. The solution to the worldwide littering problem is to hold corporations responsible for the waste they create. By advocating for smarter consumption, individuals can make a big difference in how materials become trash.

Buyers are widely knowledgeable of the impacts of waste pollution and are making efforts to ensure waste is handled more sustainably. City-wide green initiatives reduce litter and encourage recycling. Online companies promote the purchasing of secondhand products like clothes. 

Individuals are managing their waste better while also holding the companies that create trash accountable. Organizations like Keep America Beautiful have helped in cleaning up the U.S.’s public places, sidewalks and roadways. Now it is time for them to take responsibility for the waste they generate before it reaches the consumer.

This article was originally published in the Conservation Folks blog on June 19, 2020.

Featured photograph provided by Boyce Duprey .

About the Author

Emily Folk is a sustainability and green tech writer. Her goal is to help people become more informed about the world around them and how they fit into it.

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Reasons, Consequences and Possible Solutions of Littering

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Littering can be defined as making a place or area untidy with rubbish, or incorrectly disposing waste. Littering causes pollution, a major threat to the environment, and has increasingly become a cause for concern in many countries. As human beings are largely responsible for littering, it is important to understand why people litter, as well as how to encourage people not to litter. This paper explores the reasons and consequences of littering and suggests possible solutions based on international experience.

Why do people litter?

Laziness and carelessness have bred a culture of habitual littering. Carelessness has made people throw rubbish anywhere without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Many people do not realize or underestimate the negative impacts of littering on the environment. People believe that their individual actions will not harm society as a whole. As a result, it is common to see people throwing wrappers, cigarette butts and other rubbish in public areas. The majority of people believe that there are others who will clean up after them and consequently, the responsibility of cleaning up litter usually falls on local governments and taxpayers. Thus, the lack of responsibility to look after public places is another problem.

In Georgia, many residents living in urban areas blame the lack of public trash cans for widespread littering in the streets. Several studies have proven a correlation between the presence of litter in a given area and the intentional littering of that particular spot. [1] When a person sees litter accumulated in one place, it gives the impression that it is somehow acceptable to litter there. This, along with the absence of appropriate local waste services, might be one of the main reasons behind illegal dumping in Georgian villages.

Consequences of littering

Litter adversely affects the environment. Littering along the road, on the streets or by the litter bins, toxic materials or chemicals in litter can be blown or washed into rivers, forests, lakes and oceans, and, eventually can pollute waterways, soil or aquatic environments. Based on recent data, 7 billion tons of debris enter the world’s oceans annually and most of it is long-lasting plastic. [2] Litter also reduces air quality due to the smell and toxic/chemical vapor emanating from the trash. A polluted environment can encourage the spread of diseases. Toxic chemicals and disease-causing microorganisms in the trash may also contaminate water systems and spread water-borne diseases which can negatively affect the health of both animals and humans if unclean or untreated water is consumed.

Cigarette butts take a grand total of ten years to decompose because of cellulose acetate, contrary to the common perception that cigarette butts decompose very quickly in only a matter of days. [3] In reality, cigarette butts are a serious threat to the environment, as they contain toxic substances like arsenic which can contaminate soil and water.

Plastic litter is another threat to the environment and its inhabitants. It has often been mistaken for food by both land and marine wildlife. When consumed by animals, they reduce the stomach capacity since they cannot be digested. In the long-term it affects the animals’ eating habits, eventually killing the animals. Much of marine wildlife including birds, whales, dolphins and turtles have been found dead with plastic and cigarettes found in their stomachs. [4] An estimated 100,000 sea mammals are killed by plastic litter every year. [5] Some of the materials may also be poisonous or contain sharp objects therefore damaging the animal’s vital organs or severely injuring them. Another negative aspect of littering is that it is too expensive for a country, society and individuals. Cleaning up litter requires a huge amount of money that is financed by taxpayers that could be used in more productive ways. Littered places are visually displeasing and they depreciate the aesthetic and real value of the surrounding environments. Places with large amounts of litter are often characterized with homes and property that are less valuable as a result. Similarly, it affects tourism as it makes city areas and roadsides look disgusting and tourists tend to avoid staying and even visiting areas that are littered. Furthermore, littering can lead to car accidents. Some trash in the road is enough to create a dangerous situation that could result in serious injuries or death.

The ideal way to handle the problem of littering is for each member of society to take responsibility and try their best to properly dispose waste. If citizens are required not to litter, appropriate conditions must be provided by local governments. Measures must be taken by appropriate local authorities to ensure more garbage bins are installed in various areas for effective garbage disposal. Installing enough garbage bins in town centers, walking routes, public areas, and near bus stops as well as fast-food restaurants offer convenience in disposing and collecting litter. To avoid additional problems due to overfilling, the bins must be emptied regularly.

Unfortunately, the existence of garbage bins do not guarantee that waste will not be dropped in the streets. Enforcing strict litter laws will encourage people not to litter in private and public places. Such laws work towards prohibiting illegal dumping and littering.

According to research conducted by the 2011 Keep Britain Tidy campaign, attitudes concerning enforcement are greatly shaped by the degree to which an individual sees it as a threat and many do not think it is likely they will be fined for environmental offences. The same research also reports that people who have seen or heard about fixed penalty notices being issued are less likely to litter. [6]

Littering penalties and other enforcement measures are common practices worldwide. For instance, the penalty for the first case of littering consists of fines from $100 to $1000 and at least eight hours of community service litter cleanup in California. For subsequent offenses, fines and the duration of required community service increases. In Louisiana, intentional littering can result in a one-year suspension of your driver’s license or imprisonment for up to 30 days in addition to standard fines and community service. [7] According to the Code of Waste Management, adapted in 2015, penalties for dropping municipal waste in the street varies from 80 to 150 GEL in Georgia. The Department of Environmental Supervision, Ministry of Internal Affairs and the local self-governments are the responsible institutions responsible for executing the law and violators are fined systematically by the appropriate institution. However, authorities cannot fine someone unless they actually see them litter and it is impossible to control every street.

Undoubtedly, penalties have a real effect on littering behavior, but education and raising awareness is crucial in guaranteeing long-term results. Community clean up events can be an effective way for spreading anti-litter messages in society. The issue can also be incorporated in bulletin boards, TV programs, social media platforms, and newsletters in a more intensive way in order to spread the message widely. Furthermore, an  anti-littering sign might be placed in highly littered areas such as the streets near public transport stations. These signs serve to constantly remind people that littering is a bad thing that should be avoided.

Some people argue that not only penalties but rewards also might be a good idea. People “caught” doing the right thing may be given rewards like shopping vouchers and their positive disposal behavior publicized in the media or social networks to encourage others to dispose of litter properly. [8]

[1] What is Littering? Conserve Energy Future. Rachel Oliver.

[2] Walking Green: Ten Harmful Effects of Litter, Green Eco Services, Cathy, 2008.

[3] Twenty Astonishing Facts About Littering, Conserve Energy Future, Rinkesh, 2018.

[4] What is Littering? Conserve Energy Future, Rinkesh.

[5] Walking Green: Ten Harmful Effects of Litter, Green Eco Services, Cathy, 2008.

[6] The Effectiveness of Enforcement on Behavior Change, Keep Britain Tidy, 2011.

[7] States with Littering Penalties, National Conference of State Legislatures, 2014.

[8] Why do People Litter? Litterology, Karen Spehr and Rob Curnow, 2015.

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Causes, Problems, and Possible Solutions To Stop Littering

Litter is any trash thrown away in small amounts, especially in places where it doesn’t belong .

Now, with time, litter heaps up, forcing municipalities to spend millions of dollars annually in cleanup costs.

But it’s not just about the costs — litter, generally, portrays a bad picture of an area, turning what was initially beautiful into an unsightly place.

The most frequently littered items include fast food packaging, cigarette butts, used drink bottles , chewing gum wrappers, broken electrical equipment parts, toys, broken glass,  food scraps , or green waste.

In other words, litter includes any item not disposed of properly. While not many people fully understand the repercussions of littering , it’s a dangerous practice and should not be taken lightly because it impacts the environment in multiple ways.

Littering is a crime, but they are not enforcing the law. We need to educate the youths on why littering is bad and the effect litter has on neighbourhoods. ~ Johnnise Downs

To better understand littering, here is a list of its causes, problems, and possible solutions.

Various Causes of Littering

The consequences of littering are far-reaching, impacting wildlife, ecosystems, public health, and the overall aesthetic appeal of our surroundings. Addressing the causes of littering is essential for preserving the cleanliness and sustainability of our planet.

The following are the major causes of littering in our society.

1. Presence of Litter in an Area

Research has proven a correlation between the presence of litter in a given area and the intentional throwing of litter at that particular spot.

The research points out that when someone sees litter already accumulated somewhere, it gives him the impression that it’s the right place to discard items. In most cases, it’s either accidental or intentional.

2. Construction Projects

Some percentage of litter also comes from construction projects. The workers’ lunchtime waste and the uncontrolled generation of building waste are the culprits of the litter produced by construction projects.

Pieces of wood, metals, plastics, concrete debris, cardboard, and paper are some of the common waste materials generated.

3. Laziness and Carelessness

Laziness and carelessness have bred a culture of habitual  littering . Typically, people have become too lazy and unwilling to throw away trash appropriately.

It is common to see people discard trash out of their kitchen windows or balconies, probably because they are too lazy to put it in the rightful places. Carelessness has also made people throw rubbish anywhere without even thinking about it.

4. The Belief That There is no Consequence For Littering

Since people perceive no consequence for their actions when they throw items anyhow and anywhere, it has created the “ I don’t care attitude.”

Pedestrians getting rid of chewing gum wrappers and other waste on the roadways and streets or motorists throwing garbage from their cars reveals this attitude.

Most people believe others will pick it up or clean it up.

5. Lack of Trash Receptacles

Many passengers, pedestrians, and people living in urban areas have blamed rampant littering on the lack of public trash cans .

Some places have them, but they are not enough, while some of the existing ones are sometimes poorly managed, which leads to overloading of the containers. Besides, animal scavengers and blowing wind can dislodge the items and scatter them around.

6. Improper Environmental Education

Many people do not know that their various acts of littering  negatively impact the environment . As a result, people continue to throw litter anywhere without considering the environmental consequences.

Smokers, for example, are unaware of the environmental impact of their aimlessly throwing cigarette butt . The case is similar for passengers, pedestrians, and people who aimlessly throw wrappers or other used items in remote or public areas.

7. Low Fines

The fines for littering in many countries are quite low; to some, fines are not provided. Since people do not expect to get fined, they usually stick to their littering behavior.

For example, it is common for people to throw their cigarette butts and not care about this behavior as they are never fined.

8. Pack Behavior

As per psychology, it is human nature to get affected by the people we spend time with, even unconsciously.

Thus, if we spend time with stubborn people, unwilling to change their behavior, immature, or lack awareness of their actions that adversely affect the environment or are selfish enough to care for the environment and litter quite frequently, we are also more likely to start littering.

Serious Problems With Littering

The consequences of littering emphasize the critical effects of this problem on the environment and the well-being of our planet and all its inhabitants.

They include;

1. Can Cause Physical Harm or Injury to People

Litter can contain objects that can harm or cause physical injury to people or animals, namely needles, blades, or broken glass.

Rowing cigarette butts in the forest can also spark fires, destroy nearby properties and homes, or even kill those trapped in the fire.

2. It Can Facilitate the Spread of Disease

Littering can encourage the spread of pest species and diseases. Trash can provide a breeding ground for diseases and pass them through animals that eat them.

If the trash collects water, it may also harbor mosquitoes known to spread the deadly malaria disease in tropical regions.

Toxic chemicals  and disease-causing microorganisms in the trash may also contaminate water systems and spread water-borne diseases, which can negatively affect the health of animals and humans if unclean or  untreated water  is consumed.

3. Pollutes the Environment

Litter adversely  affects the environment . Be it littering along the road, in parks, on the streets, or by the litter bins, toxic materials or chemicals in the litter can be blown or washed into rivers, forest lands, oceans, lakes, and creeks and eventually  pollute the waterways , land, forest areas, soils or aquatic environments.

Cigarette butts, for instance, contain toxic substances like arsenic , a well-known carcinogen of the liver, skin, lungs, and other body organs that also contaminate soil and water. The Great Pacific garbage patch is another example connected to  marine plastic pollution .

Litter can also reduce air quality due to the smell and toxic/chemical vapor emanating from the trash.

4. High Cleanup Costs

Millions of dollars are spent by municipalities annually on cleanup efforts to reduce littering. This makes littering a huge problem because the money that would otherwise be used in progressive development is partly directed to  waste management  programs.

Litter can also block stormwater drainage systems and cause urban flooding, which requires money for intervention and restoration.

5. It Affects and Can Kill Wildlife

Plastic litter is often mistaken for food by land and marine wildlife, such as herbivores, sea birds, turtles, and fish.

When consumed by the animals, litter reduces their stomach capacity since it can’t be digested. In the long term, it affects the animals’ eating habits, eventually killing them.

Several marine wildlife, including birds, whales, dolphins, and turtles, have been found dead with plastics and cigarettes in their stomachs. Some of the materials may also be poisonous or contain sharp objects, thereby damaging the animal’s vital organs or injuring them.

6. Affects Aesthetic Value and Local Tourism

Littered places look gross and depreciate the aesthetic value of the surrounding environments. Similarly, it affects local tourism by making city areas and roadsides look disgusting.

The public and tourists also avoid littered areas because of health issues and unattractiveness. It also causes visual pollution and affects people’s quality of life.

7. Increased Probability of Fires

People often underestimate the underlying dangers of their behavior that littering may also contribute to fires. They throw away their cigarettes wherever they stand and risk sparking wildfires in areas at high risk for wildfires because of dry wood.

They hardly believe that a cigarette could be enough to start a fire. Therefore, littering can increase the probability of wildfires.

8. Breeding Ground for Insects

Litter can serve as a breeding ground for insects or pests. If it is organic litter, it can be quite harmful as insects and other pests prefer to breed on organic substances.

But that’s not all — littering can also lead to an increase in the population of undesirable insects, which obviously isn’t very good for both human and crop health.

9. Soil Pollution

Soil pollution is among the adverse effects of littering. Litter consists of several materials like glass, metal, and organic stuff and can also contain hazardous materials. 

One example is batteries. As batteries contain many harmful substances, they may severely pollute the soil if disposed of improperly into the litter.

The soil is likely to store harmful substances, contaminating groundwater since the harmful substances are washed through the soil during rainfall.

10. Water Pollution

Littering can contribute to water pollution in several ways. When people dispose of their garbage directly into the water, rivers, and lakes can be polluted.

Additionally, water pollution includes the contamination of groundwater when garbage is washed into it due to natural rainfall. This garbage is likely to end up in our oceans eventually.

11. Air Pollution

People often burn litter to get rid of it. However, in the combustion process, the harmful substances contained in the litter mix with the air and lead to air pollution.

This problem becomes severe, especially when it comes to the burning of plastic , which leads to the emission of many toxic gases and particulate matter that can negatively affect the human respiratory system.

Possible Solutions to Littering To Save Our Environment

Addressing the problem of littering requires proactive solutions that promote responsible behavior and effective waste management. Developing sustainable practices is key to finding long-term solutions that ensure cleaner and healthier surroundings for present and future generations.

Below is a discussion of these solutions to littering that we can apply to save our environment.

1. Litter Laws

Strict litter laws ensure no litter is discarded, thrown, or dropped in private or public areas. Such laws work towards prohibiting illegal dumping and littering .

The law must also clearly stipulate that dumping is a serious offense, punishable by serving a jail term and fines.

Several local authorities globally have considerably addressed the littering problem by instituting legislation punishing perpetrators with fines , imprisonment, and community service.

2. More Controlling Instances

Littering is mostly not controlled and fined appropriately because there is a lack of controlling instances or people who can control littering.

People know they can get away with littering, and nobody is ready to fine them. However, they can be stopped from littering by increasing the number of people engaged in controlling and fining litter.

3. Anti-litter Campaigns

Community programs and groups should be created with friends and neighbors for neighborhood cleanups with the sole aim of running anti-litter campaigns to raise awareness.

“ Keep the environment tidy ” programs and community cleanup events can be fun and sufficiently valuable in spreading the message.

The campaigns can also be incorporated into bulletin boards, social media platforms, and newsletters to spread the message widely.

Campaigns speak a lot and provide relevant knowledge about the environmental costs of littering, eventually addressing some of the major problems.

In supporting this initiative, more than half of smokers say that if they know how their behavior  impacts the environment , they will strive to correct it.

4. Stop Littering Signs

Putting up signs is a very creative way of putting a stop to littering. The signs should be placed in highly littered areas and those prone to littering, such as the streets near public transport stations.

Routes used daily by pedestrians and commuters also deserve “ stop littering signs ” to constantly remind people that littering is a bad thing and should thus be avoided.

5. Putting up Litter Bins

Proper measures must be taken by the relevant local authorities to ensure more garbage bins are installed in various areas for effective  garbage disposal .

Putting up enough garbage bins in town centers, walking routes, public areas, near bus stops, and fast-food restaurants offers convenience in the disposal and collection of litter.

Litter bins also help ease the recycling and reuse initiatives as the local authorities and garbage collectors are given enough time to sort the waste.

Moreover, the bins must be emptied regularly to avoid additional problems due to overfilling.

6. Education

Education is crucial to mitigate the littering issue. People need to know how their actions in their daily lives affect the environment.

We also have to make people understand that it is quite easy to avoid littering and thus contribute to protecting the environment.

7. Involve Children and Youth

This education should begin in schools because children and youth play an important role in shaping and keeping a nation clean and beautiful.

Children are good learners and adjust their behavior more easily than most adults.

Moreover, children may convince their parents to avoid littering. Additionally, when they grow up to be aware of the littering problem, they may be motivated to take measures to mitigate it.

8. Recycling of Waste

Recycling can prevent resource waste, and it is possible to reuse many things thrown in the garbage. The local community and the environment can benefit from recycling materials instead of littering.

It saves natural resources , landfill space, energy, clean air, and water and conserves the environment . 

9. Carry a Litter Bag

Keep a litter bag in your car, bring it with you whenever you are out, and throw your trash in your bag until you find a garbage receptacle.

This action will not only keep your car clean and organized but also keep the streets clean.

Why Do People Litter?

One of the main reasons why people litter is because they are lazy, careless, and irresponsible. The lack of accountability and responsibility for keeping the planet a clean and habitable place allows them to carry out actions that could destroy it.

Due to ignorance and lack of knowledge about what littering might do to animals, plants, humans, and the whole planet, some people keep doing this bad activity.

Another reason people litter is the lack of trash cans or bins around a certain area. This is still connected to the sense of responsibility and caring as we could always keep our trash in our pockets or bags until we find a trash bin.

However, putting trash cans or bins in public areas would help reduce littering by a mile.

If irresponsible and careless people were punished or fined severely for littering, that could probably stop them from doing the bad activity. Due to the lack of strict law enforcement on littering, people keep doing it as if it is not a bad thing, which makes it a reason why people litter.

Furthermore, people usually litter in areas that are already filled with trash . People litter in areas covered in garbage, thinking that the area is a big trash bin. Bearing this in mind, keeping our areas clean could also stop littering.

Lastly, people litter due to an unwillingness to change their bad behavior. Many people are stubborn and don’t like listening to knowledgeable people about certain actions that could help the planet.

Even if some experts show them the facts and try to make them understand completely, some people do not want to listen and keep doing what they think is fine and right.

This is a painful reality that the people who care about the planet face every day.

Why Should We Stop Littering?

Some of the reasons we should stop littering are that it causes air, land, and water pollution; it kills animals and plants; and it is a means by which diseases keep spreading.

Littering causes air, land, and water pollution as the trash that people randomly throw away in the environment is full of chemicals and microparticles that are not natural in nature.

These chemicals are penetrating the soil and water, which could cause the destruction of nature and later on affect animals, plants, and humans.

Other than the affected land and water, littering also pollutes the air. The toxic emissions from burning litter could contribute greatly to ozone depletion and global warming.

Furthermore, it could cause respiratory problems in both animals and humans. If that’s not enough reason to stop littering, there are more.

In connection to the pollution caused by littering, the longevity of our environment is affected by this bad activity, which would lead to the killing of wildlife. Due to people’s litter, animals, especially the aquatic ones, eat the trash, which could kill them.

Aside from that, the water and air being filled with chemicals could cause many health problems for animals and suddenly lead to their deaths. Due to irresponsible littering, wildlife is becoming at stake.

Lastly, we should stop littering because it is a means for diseases to keep on spreading. Areas filled with litter allow bacteria, viruses, and parasites to reproduce.

As they continuously grow in number, it is easier to get in contact with the germs after picking them up or touching them. Other than that, insects from the area could transmit the bacteria to humans.

There are lots of reasons why we should stop littering and keep our planet clean and healthy.

Always be responsible and careful with your actions so that we can all live healthily and peacefully.

About Arindom Ghosh

A professional writer, editor, blogger, copywriter, and a member of the International Association of Professional Writers and Editors, New York. He has been part of many reputed domestic and global online magazines and publications. An avid reader and a nature lover by heart, when he is not working, he is probably exploring the secrets of life.

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The Effects of Litter on the Environment and Communities

In addition to being unsightly (Pandey, 1990), litter causes a plethora of environmental and social problems (Schultz et al., 2013).  When trash and pollutants are washed into storm drains, it flows into our waterways and is distributed into streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans (Stormwater Litter and Trash, n.d.; Roper & Parker, 2013; Corcoran et al., 2009).  This harms wildlife and degrades their habitats (Roper & Parker, 2013; Stormwater Litter and Trash, n.d.).  Eighty percent of marine pollution can be traced back to sources on land (Nellemann & Corcoran, 2006).  Marine organisms are affected by a variety of plastics by getting tangled in it as well as ingesting the plastic (Baird & Hooker, 2000; Blight & Burger, 1997; Corcoran et al., 2009; Mallory et al., 2006; Roper & Parker, 2013; Rothstein, 1973).  This is an on-going problem since plastics are continuously deposited on coastlines both from inland and marine sources (Williams and Tudor, 2001).  When marine life is exposed to toxins, death may not be imminent, but the toxins accumulate in the organism over its life span (Pearce, 1991).  In addition to environmental degradation caused by trash and pollution, there are also repercussions that people experience every day.  Some fish and seafood are unsafe to eat, beaches are closed to public access and stormwater drains are clogged with trash and debris which leads to broken pipes and neighborhood floods (Stormwater Litter and Trash, n.d.).

Considering the extensive aesthetic, environmental, and social problems litter causes, conservationists need to determine how to change the global population’s attitudes and behaviors about litter.  When Hardin discusses the ‘tragedy of the commons’ (1968) he points out that people consistently do what is in their best interest.  People need to be convinced that cigarettes are not only litter but also toxic waste (Rath et al., 2012).  The public needs to believe that it is in their best interest to refrain from littering and maintain their property accordingly.    

Amy Young Global Conservation Force Project Coordinator, Ecology and Environmental Science M.A. Zoology B.A. Anthropology

Baird, R.W., & Hooker, S.K., (2000). Ingestion of plastic and unusual prey by a juvenile harbour porpoise. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 40, 719-720.

Blight, L.K. & Burger, A.E., (1997). Occurrence of plastic particles in seabirds from the eastern North Pacific. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 35, 323-325.

Brown, B., Perkins, D., & Brown, G. (2004). Crime, new housing, and housing incivilities in a first-ring suburb: Multilevel relationships across time. Housing Policy Debate, 15, 301-345.

Cope, J.G., Huffman, K.T., Allred, L.J & Grossnickle, W.F. (1993). Behavioral strategies to reduce cigarette litter. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 8(4), 607-619.

Corcoran, P., Biesinger, M. & Grifi, M. (2009). Plastics and beaches: A degrading relationship. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58, 80-84.

Finnie, W.C. (1973). Field experiments in litter control. Environment and Behavior, 5, 123-144.

Hardin, G. (1968). The Tragedy of the Commons. Science, New Series, 162(3859), 1243-1248. 

Keizer, K., Lindenberg, S. & Steg, L. (2008). The spreading of disorder. Science, 322, 1681-1685.

Mallory, M.L., Robertson, G.J. & Moenting, A. (2006). Marine plastic debris in northern fulmars from Davis Strait, Nunavut, Canada. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 52, 813-815.

MSW Consultants. (2009). National visible litter study. New Market, MD: Author. Obtained November 30, 2014 from: www.kab.org/research09.

National Association of Home Builders. (2009). House price estimator. Available from www.nahb.org.

Nellemann, C. & Corcoran, E. (2006).  Our precious coasts-Marine pollution, climate change and the resilience of coastal ecosystems. Norway: United Nations Environment Programme, GRID-Arendal.

Pandey, J. (1990). The environment, culture, and behavior. In R. Brislin (Ed.), Applied cross-cultural psychology, Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. 254-277.

Pearce, J. (1991). Collective effects of development on the marine environment. Oceanologica Acta, 11, 287-298.

Rath, J.M., Rubenstein, R.A., Curry, L.E., Shank, S.E., & Cartwright, J.C. (2012). Cigarette litter: Smoker’s attitudes and Behaviors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9, 2189-2203.

Roper, S. & Parker, C. (2013). Doing well by doing good: A quantitative investigation of the litter effect. Journal of Business Research, 66, 2262-2268.

Rothstein, S.I. (1973). Plastic particle pollution of the surface of the Atlantic Ocean: evidence from a seabird. Condor, 75, 344-345.

Schultz, P.W., Bator, R.J., Large, L.B., Bruni, C.M. & Tabanico, J.J. (2013). Littering in context: Personal and environmental predictors of littering behavior. Environment and Behavior, 45(1), 35-59.

Skogan, W. (1990). Decline and disorder: Crime and the spiral of decay in American neighborhoods. New York, NY: Free Press.

Stafford, J. & Pettersson, G. (2009). Vandalism, graffiti and environmental nuisance on public transport. Literature review.

Stormwater-Litter and Trash. (n.d.). Department of Public Works. Obtained on November 29, 2014 from: www.sandiegocounty.gov/dpw/watersheds/residential/litter

Williams, A.T., & Tudor, D.T. (2001). Litter burial and exhumation: spatial and temporal distribution on a cobble pocket beach. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 42, 1031-1039. 

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Littering in Public Places: A Significant Issue Essay (Critical Writing)

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Introduction

Littering can be defined as the incorrect disposal of trash in places it does not belong. Littering in public places is a significant issue many communities face. People’s carelessness toward the surroundings they live in causes other citizens to suffer. According to Reisch’s characteristic of an ethical issue, littering in public places upholds all standards stated (2019). Public littering is a realistic and winnable issue that is possible to solve, moreover, it is immediate and clearly stated. A problem like this can be an opportunity for the community to unite; additionally, it is likely to be solved through collective action. Lastly, the population of a residential area is affected by public littering because it stands in the way of pleasant recreational activities for both children and adults.

The ultimate goal for the issue of littering in public places would be clearing out the community of any litter and preventing its appearance in the future. The biggest goal should be the termination of littering because even though it takes hard work to clean out the area from litter, the citizens cannot continuously do it. Therefore, making residents understand that future littering in public places will not only affect the community around but also them. Preventional punishments must be created to lower the possibility of people committing this irresponsible action.

A community organization should target community change efforts. As the residents of the specific community are the cause of this issue, its resolvent must target exactly them. Moreover, teamwork will allow a particular community not only to become closer but also to see the consequences of someone’s irresponsibility. After thoroughly analyzing the issue, the organization must create a plan for terminating it and essentially have several alternatives for it. After that, significant actions must be taken to prevent littering from happening again.

Potential allies for public littering issues may vary. The most obvious and realistic are the municipal services. The local government may help increase the number of trash bins in the public areas or town authorities can create penalties or fines for people who get caught littering in public places. In California, such penalties vary from fines to hours of community service (CENN). Such actions are radical but practical. Pro-ecology organizations can be potential allies for the initiative to terminate public littering. Such organizations may cooperate and create info boards that are to be set in public places like parks or bus stations, which inform on the harmful consequences of littering for the environment.

A strategic approach is the most critical component of solving a community-related issue. I think that competition can be of the most significant effect on solving public place littering. The local community will have to choose the most littered public areas and clean them together. The contest can depend on how clean the public area is after the cleaning; therefore, the winners get a prize. The prize can be the renovation of a local playground for children or the installment of a brand new bus stop, which will be up to the winning teams. In such a way, the area around will not only get rid of the rubbish but also become a more comfortable place to be. With the help of local government and eco-organizations, such places will obtain educational information and preventional matters. Collectively with these measures implemented, it is possible to minimize the probability of littering in public places and make a local community more appealing and pleasant to live in.

To conclude, littering in public places is a common issue for communities around the world; however, with appropriate collective actions, it is possible to prevent and terminate it. Directly involving the community to participate, asking local leaders to take action, and teaming up with other organizations can ultimately solve the issue of littering once and for all.

CENN. (n.d.). Reasons, Consequences and Possible Solutions of Littering. Web.

Reisch, M. (2019). Macro social work practice: working for change in a multicultural society . San Diego, CA: Cognella Academic Publishing.

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The Effects of Littering on the Environment & Animals

Five Reasons Why Littering Is Bad

As humans consume natural resources, they, too, create byproducts that enter Earth's varied ecosystems. Plastic waste, water pollution, soil runoff, and jars and bottles make up just a few of the human-made products and byproducts that can harm the Earth and the species that live on it. The damage can be physical — six-pack rings strangling marine life — or chemical — fertilizers causing algal blooms — but in either case, they can cause lasting damage to the flora and fauna of an area.

Plastic Waste

Discarding plastic products, including grocery sacks, rapidly fills up landfills and often clog drains. When plastic litter drifts out to sea, animals like turtles or dolphins may ingest the plastic. The plastic creates health problems for the animals including depleting their nutrients and blocking their stomachs and intestines. Animals cannot break down plastic in their digestive system and will usually die from the obstruction. Pieces of plastic can also get tangled around animals' bodies or heads and cause injury or death.

Water Pollution

Litter in Earth's water supply from consumer and commercial use creates a toxic environment. The water is ingested by deer, fish and a variety of other animals. The toxins may cause blood clotting, seizures or serious medical issues that can kill animals. The toxic water may also kill off surrounding plant life on riverbanks and the bottom of a pond's ecosystem. When humans eat animals that have ingested compromised water supplies, they also can become sick.

Soil Runoff

Runoff from litter, polluted water, gasoline and consumer waste can infiltrate the soil. The soil absorbs the toxins litter creates and affects plants and crops. The agriculture is often compromised and fails to thrive. Animals then eat those crops or worms that live in the soil and may become sick. Humans who eat either the crops or the animals feeding on the infected agriculture can also become ill.

Jars and Bottles

Discarded jars and bottles usually do not biodegrade naturally and add to humanity's mounting litter problem. The litter remains in landfills and clogs sewers, streets, rivers and fields. Crabs, birds and small animals may crawl into the bottles looking for food and water and become stuck and slowly die from starvation and illness. The World Wide Fund for Nature reported some 1.5 million tons of plastic waste from the water bottling industry alone.

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About the Author

Catherine Irving is a travel and lifestyle writer living in Brooklyn, New York and has been professionally freelance writing since 2002. She's written for "Young Money," Kayak.com, Pokemon.com and numerous other national outlets. Irving graduated with a bachelor's degree in film with a minor in English from Georgia State University.

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Littering - Free Essay Examples And Topic Ideas

An essay on littering can examine the environmental and social consequences of litter and pollution. It can discuss the impact of litter on ecosystems, wildlife, and public spaces, as well as the role of environmental awareness, education, and anti-litter campaigns in addressing this environmental issue, highlighting the importance of responsible waste disposal. A vast selection of complimentary essay illustrations pertaining to Littering you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

A Discussion on the Need to Stop Pollution and Littering

What is pollution? Pollution, as defined by Webster's dictionary, is "to make impure and to contaminate with man-made waste." Pollution has become a major threat to our world today. It is one of the toughest challenges we are facing. It may seem difficult to stop pollution, but the world can certainly reduce it with collective effort. The problem is, there seems to be a lot of talk with less action. Yes, there are various activist groups fighting against pollution, and […]

The Environmental Consequences of Littering

There are several concerns that the planet deals with and also 2 big ones are the results from littering and deforestation. These particular points impact the world around us as well as our neighborhoods. When people clutter, they harm our oceans as well as when people chop down thousands of trees each day it harms a really crucial plant in the survival of all taking a breath things. The planet is where we as individuals live as well as create. […]

The Impact of Mass Tourism Globally and Littering

Tourism has been more established than ever over the past decade. However, while it brings important advantages for countries, tourism also carries a negative influence on several elements. Mass tourism is one type of tourism that creates harmful effects on the environment and culture, particularly in developing countries such as Vietnam. Although mass tourism has rapidly diminished the charms of the country, travelers and the host country can address these troubles with proper solutions. Mass tourism involves tens of thousands […]

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The Importance of Community Clean-Up Days on Every Weekend from Littering

In the city of Victorville, the community recently organized an event to help improve the area. This event, aptly named 'Area Clean-up Day' takes place once a month. My AVID instructor recommended that my classmates and I participate in the community service to help our city. This kind of civic engagement is a fantastic way to contribute to our futures. However, one question that continually arises is "Why isn't Area Clean-up held every weekend?" After all, rubbish inevitably returns after […]

The Importance of Plastics to our Lives and its Contribution to the Pollution of our Environment and Littering

Plastics are one of the most crucial substances in this period. Their convenience and abilities are commended, however, their effects on contaminating the environment are typically ignored. Since the introduction of commercial use of plastic bags 30 years ago, there has been a decrease in the health of the environment. The littering of plastic has continued to destroy the community and aquatic life as rubbish gathers in the Great Pacific Trash Patch. Due to plastic's slow rate of biodegrading, it […]

The Causes of Littering and how to Prevent it

Litter just does not appear; it is the result of reckless attitudes and inappropriate waste handling. Is there anything you can do? Understanding more about trash and where it originates from is a great place to start. A study by Keep America Beautiful, Inc., has discovered that people litter because: They feel no sense of ownership, even though places such as parks and beaches are public property. They believe someone else, a park maintenance or highway worker, will clean up […]

An Introduction to the Issue of Littering in Today’s Society

"Close friend, please don't throw rubbish on the ground. Dispose of it in the litter bin," I stated to my friend. She responded, "What are the sweepers for, anyhow?" I chose to overlook her comment. This isn't the only instance I've come across. I've been advising all of my friends to avoid littering. What I often hear back is, "Who cares? There's already so much litter on the ground, it's the sweepers' job to clean it," or "The bin is […]

Strict Consequences should be Implemented to Punish Littering in America

In the USA, littering has actually reached an all-time high. Keeping a clean living space is an important part of life. The majority of the trash that accumulates is, in fact, unintentional. Sometimes, littering does occur accidentally. Something might fall out of your pocket or possibly fly from the rear seat of a vehicle out of a window. Not that this justifies the act of littering, but it might not be intentional. However, there are some people who do litter […]

The Long Term Effects of Littering and Pollution on the Environment

Cluttering, as well as contamination, is a significant problem around the world today. It influences all of our lives and will undoubtedly continue to do so for years to come. Clutter and pollution play a substantial role in our everyday experiences. Wherever we walk or drive, there's garbage on the roadside, thrown out of windows, and dangling from trees. However, even minor efforts on our part can bring about change and help make the earth a better place. With less […]

The Bad Side of Littering and the Projects to Clean the Beaches of Miami

Trash is specified as solid waste that has been displaced, either by wind, traffic, or even water. It travels until it gets caught on something, like an aesthetic or fence [Unk13]. Typically, when litter has been placed somewhere, it invites others to add more to the heap, despite the penalties in Florida for such actions. It affects people everywhere, from tourists to businesses. There are numerous efforts out there to clean up our beaches, yet it still doesn't seem to […]

School Communities should be Involved more in Establishing Policies for Littering

There are numerous issues with pollution in the neighborhood nowadays. Some of these can be dangerous, while others are harmless to us. A significant problem in our neighborhood is the littering in and around school universities. This might seem harmless to some, but it sets a negative example and can be hazardous for the local flora and fauna. It appears that students these days simply do not care about littering. Firstly, the Student Council needs to be more engaged and […]

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Everything you need to know about plastic pollution

This year’s World Environment Day – the fiftieth iteration of the annual celebration of the planet – is focusing on the plastic pollution crisis. The reason? Humanity produces more than 430 million tonnes of plastic annually, two-thirds of which are short-lived products that soon become waste, filling the ocean and, often, working their way into the human food chain.

“Many people aren’t aware that a material that is embedded in our daily life can have significant impacts not just on wildlife, but on the climate and on human health,” says Llorenç Milà i Canals, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP’s) Life Cycle Initiative.

Read our explainer to find out more about the plastic pollution crisis:

Why is plastic pollution such a problem?

Affordable, durable and flexible, plastic pervades modern life, appearing in everything from packaging to clothes to beauty products. But it is thrown away on a massive scale: every year, more than 280 million tonnes of short-lived plastic products become waste.

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Overall,  46 per cent of plastic waste is landfilled , while 22 per cent is mismanaged and becomes litter. Unlike other materials, plastic does not biodegrade. This pollution chokes marine wildlife, damages soil and poisons groundwater, and can cause serious health impacts .

Is pollution the only problem with plastic?

No, it also contributes to the climate crisis. The production of plastic is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing processes in the world. The material is made from fossil fuels such as crude oil, which are transformed via heat and other additives into a polymer. In 2019, plastics generated 1.8 billion metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions – 3.4 per cent of the global total.

Where is all this plastic coming from? The packaging sector is the largest generator of single-use plastic waste ­in the world. Approximately 36 per cent of all plastics produced are used in packaging. This includes single-use plastic food and beverage containers, 85 per cent of which end up in landfills or as mismanaged waste.

Farming is another area where plastic is ubiquitous: it is used in everything from seed coatings to mulch film. The fishing industry is another significant source. Recent research suggests more than 100 million pounds of plastic enters the oceans from industrial fishing gear alone. The fashion industry is another major plastic user. About 60 per cent of material made into clothing is plastic , including polyester, acrylic and nylon.

I have heard people talk about microplastics. What are those?

They are tiny shards of plastic measuring up to 5mm in length. They come from everything from tires to beauty products, which contain microbeads, tiny particles used as exfoliants. Another key source is synthetic fabrics. Every time clothing is washed, the pieces shed tiny plastic fibres called microfibres – a form of microplastics. Laundry alone causes around 500,000 tonnes of plastic microfibres to be released into the ocean every year –the equivalent of almost 3 billion polyester shirts.

What is being done about plastic pollution? In 2022, UN Member States agreed on a resolution to end plastic pollution. An Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee is developing a legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, with the aim of having it finalized by the end of 2024. Critically, the talks have focused on measures considering the entire life cycle of plastics, from extraction and product design to production to waste management, enabling opportunities to design out waste before it is created as part of a thriving circular economy.

What more needs to be done? While this progress is good news, current commitments by governments and industry are not enough. To effectively tackle the plastic pollution crisis, systemic change is needed. This means, moving away from the current linear plastic economy, which centres on producing, using and discarding the material, to a circular plastic economy , where the plastic that is produced is kept in the economy at its highest value for as long as possible.

How can countries make that a reality?

Countries need to encourage innovation and provide incentives to businesses that do away with unnecessary plastics. Taxes are needed to deter the production or use of single-use plastic products, while tax breaks, subsidies and other fiscal incentives need to be introduced to encourage alternatives, such as reusable products. Waste management infrastructure must also be improved. Governments can also engage in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee process to forge a legally binding instrument that tackles plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

What can the average person do about plastic pollution? While the plastic pollution crisis needs systemic reform, individual choices do make a difference. Such as shifting behaviour to avoid single-use plastic products whenever possible. If plastic products are unavoidable, they should be reused or repurposed until they can no longer be used – at which point they should be recycled or disposed of properly. Bring bags to the grocery store, and if possible, striving to purchase locally sourced and seasonal food options that require less plastic packaging and transport.

Should I lobby governments and businesses to address plastic pollution?

Yes. One of the most important actions individuals can take is to ensure their voice is heard by talking to their local representatives about the importance of the issue, and supporting businesses that are striving to reduce single-use plastic products in their supply chains. Individuals can also show their support for them on social media. If people see a company using unnecessary plastic (such as single-use plastics covering fruit at a grocery store) they can contact them and ask them to do better.

For more information on how you can help tackle the plastic pollution crisis, download the Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide .

About World Environment Day World Environment Day on 5 June is the biggest international day for the environment. Led by UNEP and held annually since 1973, the event has grown to be the largest global platform for environmental outreach, with millions of people from across the world engaging to protect the planet. This year, World Environment Day will focus on solutions to the plastic pollution crisis.

• Chemicals & pollution action
• Plastic pollution
• Marine Litter

Further Resources

• UNEP’s work on chemicals and waste
• Pollution and the Circular Economy
• Beat Plastic Pollution
• Financing Circularity: Demystifying Finance for the Circular Economy
• Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution
• Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide

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What You Can Do About Trash Pollution

We all play a role in helping to prevent and remove trash in the environment. You can take action at home, school, and work to ensure a cleaner community and healthier waters. 

Watch the video " Repair the Future " to learn how everyone can help to reduce aquatic trash. This video was created by marketing students from California State Polytechnic University-Pomona and was the winner of the 2020 American Marketing Association (AMA)- EPA Trash Free Waters Video and Marketing Brief Competition.

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Reduce Consumer Waste

The most effective way to prevent trash from polluting our waterways is to reduce the amount of waste you create .   

• Replace single-use plastic packaging, bottles, and containers with reusable products or eliminate packaging when possible. Discover 10 ways to  Unpackage Your Life page.
• Buy used clothing and household items.
• Repair, rather than replace, broken items.
• Learn more about how to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle .

Dispose of Waste Properly

Marine litter is often the result of poorly-managed trash on land. If trash is intentionally or accidentally littered on the ground, wind or rain can carry it into nearby waterways. The trash then travels downstream and can ultimately, end up in the ocean. 

Never litter. Put trash in the appropriate bins and do not leave trash next to- or on top of an overflowing bin. 

Go to your municipality's website to learn how to properly dispose of your recyclable and non-recyclable waste. Be sure to recycle more, recycle right.

Take these steps to prevent trash from escaping from your outdoor trash bins on collection day:

Keep your lid closed and don’t overflow the trash bin.  

Put trash outside shortly before pickup.  

• Properly dispose of your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Remember to throw your masks, wipes, and latex gloves in the trash and not in the recycling bin, street, parking lot, or sidewalk. Para ver una infografía en español, haga clic  aquí .

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Collect data on what you find! 

Use the  Marine Debris Campus Toolkit  to bring positive change to your university.

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Essay on Littering | Littering Essay for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Essay on Littering: We often see people throwing banana peels, bits of papers here and there. Many people while going on roads spit there and throw wrappers and other wastes directly on the roads. Many industries and big factories also generate chemical wastes that they dump into water bodies without treating them properly. It is really sad to see the laziness and damn care of people about the environment.

Littering is an environmental issue and requires great attention. However, people are not concerned about the environment. They litter the environment either in small deeds or in big deeds. The Government also spends a great amount of money to clear the wastes for which the economy also gets affected. Thus people need to be aware and sensitised regarding this. They should teach the habits to get rid of litter but efficiently and properly.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Littering for Students and Kids in English

We provide the students with essay samples on an extended essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the topic of Littering.

Long Essay on Littering 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Littering is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Littering means throwing the waste materials here and there irresponsibly. It is an environmental issue and attracts serious concern from the individuals and the Government too. This irrational and undisciplined attitude is not stopping despite serious suggestions and warnings. There are several ways in which people litter around and make the environment dirty. They are not concerned about the surroundings and act as foolhardy. However, it is to be noted that Littering makes our environment or surroundings dirty, but they have many ill impacts on the health of animals and plants and human beings.

When plastics, rusted iron nails, and plastics are dumped directly without recycling, they have harsh effects on the environment. They are mostly non-biodegradable. Hence, they are difficult to decompose. Moreover, they also pollute the environment in air, water and soil. The bits of papers, other wastes of domestic purposes also add to this unhealthy practice. Many birds and animals consume these substances, and these blocks or choke their respiratory and digestive tracts. Thus, in this way, they suffocate and die.

There are small changes we can adopt to keep our surrounding clean and tidy. We should throw our wastes in the dustbin. We should recycle, reuse and reduce the plastics and other non-biodegradable wastes. We should not dump our household wastes directly on the road, rather treat them properly for disposal. Also, while travelling in cars and other vehicles on the roads, we should not throw wrappers, tissues etc. On the road. There should be different kinds of waste management for organic wastes. They can be utilised as compost for the plants.

People are not aware and cautious in the rural and remote areas. They need to be sensitised about the same things and must be taught to adopt hygienic practices. However, the people residing in urban areas, on the contrary, who are well educated and aware of this evil impacts, also do not practise these habits and carelessly throw the garages here and there. They must teach good habits in themselves by abandoning such a reckless attitude.

As responsible citizens, we must clean our surroundings. Students from an early childhood should be taught about littering and trained how to do proper waste management. We should know the environment we live must be healthy for our health. We have certain obligations for the environment. The Government should take proper measures to dispose of the wastes properly and treat them distinctly according to the types. The business places also generate a lot of waste and do not dispose of them carefully. Also, the places where constructions are made, they are disinterested to dispose of them effectively.

The sanitary napkins, toilet papers, tissues and plastic wastes should be disposed of iff properly. People should abandon laziness to tackle this big environmental issue. Moreover, efforts should be made to keep it safe5, clean and green. If only little things can be checked and waste generation is curbed, we can only fight this evil.

Short Essay on Littering 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Littering is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Littering includes throwing the waste and dust materials here and there carelessly and littering result in the ugliness of the environment. It looks dirty, and it becomes uncomfortable to continue there. So, we should not litter things here and there. Littering has many evil impacts on the environment. When done in water, air and soil, they are littering, resulting in water pollution, air pollution, and soil pollution.

These hamper the living organisms. It is very common to find the cattle, birds and other animals consuming plastics on the road which chokes their digestive system and leads to death. The main factor responsible for littering in the rural area is lack of awareness, whereas, in the urban areas, it is carelessness and laziness. People are overlooking these practices and making the environment dirty. Bit they are ignorant about the harsh effects they will face due to this. So, children should be taught in school to develop healthy and hygienic habits.

10 Lines on Littering in English

• Disposing garbage carelessly us called littering.
• Littering affects the environment.
• People throw the plastics here and there; animals consume it and die.
• Littering results in pollution too.
• The organic and inorganic wastes should be treated distinctively.
• Big manufacturing companies should adopt proper waste management techniques.
• People should be aware of their obligations towards the environment.
• Dustbins should be used.
• Domestic wastes should not be thrown recklessly on roads.
• People should be sensitive to the environment.

FAQ’s on Littering Essay

Question 1. How to treat organic wastes?

Answer: The organic Wastes can be used as compost and manure in farming or kitchen gardening.

Question 2. How to treat inorganic wastes?

Answer: The inorganic wastes like plastics, glass etc. Should be reduced, reused and recycled to curb littering.

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Children play on the shore of Manila Bay in the Philippines, which is polluted by plastic waste.

• ENVIRONMENT

The world's plastic pollution crisis, explained

Much of the planet is swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming animal and possibly human health. Can it be cleaned up?

Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues , as rapidly increasing production of disposable plastic products overwhelms the world’s ability to deal with them. Plastic pollution is most visible in developing Asian and African nations, where garbage collection systems are often inefficient or nonexistent. But the developed world, especially in countries with low recycling rates , also has trouble properly collecting discarded plastics. Plastic trash has become so ubiquitous it has prompted efforts to write a global treaty negotiated by the United Nations.

Why was plastic invented?

Plastics made from fossil fuels are just over a century old. Belgian chemist Leo Baekeland created the first fully synthetic plastic in 1907. Production and development of thousands of new plastic products accelerated after World War II , so transforming the modern age that life without plastics would be unrecognizable today. In plastic, inventors found a light, durable material that can be used in everything from transportation to medicine.  

Plastics revolutionized medicine with life-saving devices, made space travel possible, lightened cars and jets—saving fuel and pollution—and saved lives with helmets, incubators, and equipment for clean drinking water.

The conveniences plastics offer, however, led to a throw-away culture that reveals the material’s dark side: today, single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the plastic produced every year. Many of these products, such as plastic bags and food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years.

Plastics by the numbers

Some key facts:

Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 20 years.

• Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050.
• Every year, about eight million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.
• Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

How plastics move around the world

Most of the plastic trash in the oceans, Earth’s last sink, flows from land. Trash is also carried to sea by major rivers , which act as conveyor belts, picking up more and more trash as they move downstream. Once at sea, much of the plastic trash remains in coastal waters. But once caught up in ocean currents, it can be transported around the world.

On Henderson Island , an uninhabited atoll in the Pitcairn Group isolated halfway between Chile and New Zealand, scientists found plastic items from Russia, the United States, Europe, South America, Japan, and China. They were carried to the South Pacific by the South Pacific gyre, a circular ocean current.

Microplastics—a new health threat

Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, often less than one-fifth of an inch across. These so-called microplastics are spread throughout the water column and have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench , the deepest trough.  

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Microplastics are breaking down further into smaller and smaller pieces. Plastic microfibers, meanwhile, have been found in municipal drinking water systems and drifting through the air.

It's no surprise then that scientists have found microplastics in people. The tiny particles are in our blood, lungs, and even in feces . Exactly how much microplastics might be harming human health is a question scientists are urgently trying to answer.

Learn more about the microplastics in our bodies and how much do they harm us.

Harm to wildlife

Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 2,100 species , including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species of seabird eats plastics.

Most of the deaths to animals are caused by entanglement or starvation. Seals, whales , turtles, and other animals are strangled by abandoned fishing gear or discarded six-pack rings . Microplastics have been found   in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and mussels destined for our dinner plates. In many cases, these tiny bits pass through the digestive system and are expelled without consequence. But plastics have also been found to have blocked digestive tracts or pierced organs, causing death. Stomachs so packed with plastics reduce the urge to eat, causing starvation.

Plastics have been consumed by land-based animals, including elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels, cattle, and other large mammals, in some cases causing death .

Tests have also confirmed liver and cell damage and disruptions to reproductive systems ,   prompting some species, such as oysters, to produce fewer eggs. New research shows that larval fish are eating nanofibers in the first days of life, raising new questions about the effects of plastics on fish populations.

Stopping plastic pollution

Once in the ocean, it is difficult—if not impossible—to retrieve plastic waste. Mechanical systems, such as Mr. Trash Wheel , a litter interceptor in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of plastic, such as foam cups and food containers, from inland waters. But once plastics break down into microplastics and drift throughout the water column in the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to recover.

The solution is to prevent plastic waste from entering rivers and seas in the first place, many scientists and conservationists say. This could be accomplished with improved waste management systems and recycling , better product design that takes into account the short life of disposable packaging, and a reduction in manufacturing of unnecessary single-use plastics.

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How a dramatic win in plastic waste case may curb ocean pollution

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In a first, microplastic particles have been linked to heart disease

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How do you solve a problem like glitter?

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Regional variations in urban trash: connections between litter communities and place.

1. Introduction

2. materials and methods, 2.1. study sites, 2.2. litter survey, 2.3. analysis, 3.1. influence of sessions, 3.2. community parameters, 3.3. regional influence, 3.4. diversity, 3.5. litter composition, 3.6. community structure, 3.7. summary of results, 4. discussion, author contributions, institutional review board statement, informed consent statement, data availability statement, acknowledgments, conflicts of interest.

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Share and Cite

Kachef, R.L.; Chadwick, M.A. Regional Variations in Urban Trash: Connections between Litter Communities and Place. Sustainability 2024 , 16 , 7741. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177741

Kachef RL, Chadwick MA. Regional Variations in Urban Trash: Connections between Litter Communities and Place. Sustainability . 2024; 16(17):7741. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177741

Kachef, Randa L., and Michael A. Chadwick. 2024. "Regional Variations in Urban Trash: Connections between Litter Communities and Place" Sustainability 16, no. 17: 7741. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177741

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Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called pollutants.

Biology, Ecology, Health, Earth Science, Geography

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Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment . These harmful materials are called pollutants . Pollutants can be natural, such as volcanic ash . They can also be created by human activity, such as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land. Many things that are useful to people produce pollution. Cars spew pollutants from their exhaust pipes. Burning coal to create electricity pollutes the air. Industries and homes generate garbage and sewage that can pollute the land and water. Pesticides —chemical poisons used to kill weeds and insects— seep into waterways and harm wildlife . All living things—from one-celled microbes to blue whales—depend on Earth ’s supply of air and water. When these resources are polluted, all forms of life are threatened. Pollution is a global problem. Although urban areas are usually more polluted than the countryside, pollution can spread to remote places where no people live. For example, pesticides and other chemicals have been found in the Antarctic ice sheet . In the middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, a huge collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch . Air and water currents carry pollution. Ocean currents and migrating fish carry marine pollutants far and wide. Winds can pick up radioactive material accidentally released from a nuclear reactor and scatter it around the world. Smoke from a factory in one country drifts into another country. In the past, visitors to Big Bend National Park in the U.S. state of Texas could see 290 kilometers (180 miles) across the vast landscape . Now, coal-burning power plants in Texas and the neighboring state of Chihuahua, Mexico have spewed so much pollution into the air that visitors to Big Bend can sometimes see only 50 kilometers (30 miles). The three major types of pollution are air pollution , water pollution , and land pollution . Air Pollution Sometimes, air pollution is visible . A person can see dark smoke pour from the exhaust pipes of large trucks or factories, for example. More often, however, air pollution is invisible . Polluted air can be dangerous, even if the pollutants are invisible. It can make people’s eyes burn and make them have difficulty breathing. It can also increase the risk of lung cancer . Sometimes, air pollution kills quickly. In 1984, an accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, released a deadly gas into the air. At least 8,000 people died within days. Hundreds of thou sands more were permanently injured. Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly. When volcanoes erupt , they eject volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere . Volcanic ash can discolor the sky for months. After the eruption of the Indonesian volcano of Krakatoa in 1883, ash darkened the sky around the world. The dimmer sky caused fewer crops to be harvested as far away as Europe and North America. For years, meteorologists tracked what was known as the “equatorial smoke stream .” In fact, this smoke stream was a jet stream , a wind high in Earth’s atmosphere that Krakatoa’s air pollution made visible. Volcanic gases , such as sulfur dioxide , can kill nearby residents and make the soil infertile for years. Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy, famously erupted in 79, killing hundreds of residents of the nearby towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Most victims of Vesuvius were not killed by lava or landslides caused by the eruption. They were choked, or asphyxiated , by deadly volcanic gases. In 1986, a toxic cloud developed over Lake Nyos, Cameroon. Lake Nyos sits in the crater of a volcano. Though the volcano did not erupt, it did eject volcanic gases into the lake. The heated gases passed through the water of the lake and collected as a cloud that descended the slopes of the volcano and into nearby valleys . As the toxic cloud moved across the landscape, it killed birds and other organisms in their natural habitat . This air pollution also killed thousands of cattle and as many as 1,700 people. Most air pollution is not natural, however. It comes from burning fossil fuels —coal, oil , and natural gas . When gasoline is burned to power cars and trucks, it produces carbon monoxide , a colorless, odorless gas. The gas is harmful in high concentrations , or amounts. City traffic produces highly concentrated carbon monoxide. Cars and factories produce other common pollutants, including nitrogen oxide , sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons . These chemicals react with sunlight to produce smog , a thick fog or haze of air pollution. The smog is so thick in Linfen, China, that people can seldom see the sun. Smog can be brown or grayish blue, depending on which pollutants are in it. Smog makes breathing difficult, especially for children and older adults. Some cities that suffer from extreme smog issue air pollution warnings. The government of Hong Kong, for example, will warn people not to go outside or engage in strenuous physical activity (such as running or swimming) when smog is very thick.

When air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide mix with moisture, they change into acids . They then fall back to earth as acid rain . Wind often carries acid rain far from the pollution source. Pollutants produced by factories and power plants in Spain can fall as acid rain in Norway. Acid rain can kill all the trees in a forest . It can also devastate lakes, streams, and other waterways. When lakes become acidic, fish can’t survive . In Sweden, acid rain created thousands of “ dead lakes ,” where fish no longer live. Acid rain also wears away marble and other kinds of stone . It has erased the words on gravestones and damaged many historic buildings and monuments . The Taj Mahal , in Agra, India, was once gleaming white. Years of exposure to acid rain has left it pale. Governments have tried to prevent acid rain by limiting the amount of pollutants released into the air. In Europe and North America, they have had some success, but acid rain remains a major problem in the developing world , especially Asia. Greenhouse gases are another source of air pollution. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane occur naturally in the atmosphere. In fact, they are necessary for life on Earth. They absorb sunlight reflected from Earth, preventing it from escaping into space. By trapping heat in the atmosphere, they keep Earth warm enough for people to live. This is called the greenhouse effect . But human activities such as burning fossil fuels and destroying forests have increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has increased the greenhouse effect, and average temperatures across the globe are rising. The decade that began in the year 2000 was the warmest on record. This increase in worldwide average temperatures, caused in part by human activity, is called global warming . Global warming is causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt. The melting ice is causing sea levels to rise at a rate of two millimeters (0.09 inches) per year. The rising seas will eventually flood low-lying coastal regions . Entire nations, such as the islands of Maldives, are threatened by this climate change . Global warming also contributes to the phenomenon of ocean acidification . Ocean acidification is the process of ocean waters absorbing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Fewer organisms can survive in warmer, less salty waters. The ocean food web is threatened as plants and animals such as coral fail to adapt to more acidic oceans. Scientists have predicted that global warming will cause an increase in severe storms . It will also cause more droughts in some regions and more flooding in others. The change in average temperatures is already shrinking some habitats, the regions where plants and animals naturally live. Polar bears hunt seals from sea ice in the Arctic. The melting ice is forcing polar bears to travel farther to find food , and their numbers are shrinking. People and governments can respond quickly and effectively to reduce air pollution. Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a dangerous form of air pollution that governments worked to reduce in the 1980s and 1990s. CFCs are found in gases that cool refrigerators, in foam products, and in aerosol cans . CFCs damage the ozone layer , a region in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The ozone layer protects Earth by absorbing much of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation . When people are exposed to more ultraviolet radiation, they are more likely to develop skin cancer, eye diseases, and other illnesses. In the 1980s, scientists noticed that the ozone layer over Antarctica was thinning. This is often called the “ ozone hole .” No one lives permanently in Antarctica. But Australia, the home of more than 22 million people, lies at the edge of the hole. In the 1990s, the Australian government began an effort to warn people of the dangers of too much sun. Many countries, including the United States, now severely limit the production of CFCs. Water Pollution Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and has garbage floating in it. Some polluted water looks clean, but is filled with harmful chemicals you can’t see or smell. Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and swimming. Some people who drink polluted water are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may make them sick years later. Others consume bacteria and other tiny aquatic organisms that cause disease. The United Nations estimates that 4,000 children die every day from drinking dirty water. Sometimes, polluted water harms people indirectly. They get sick because the fish that live in polluted water are unsafe to eat. They have too many pollutants in their flesh. There are some natural sources of water pollution. Oil and natural gas, for example, can leak into oceans and lakes from natural underground sources. These sites are called petroleum seeps . The world’s largest petroleum seep is the Coal Oil Point Seep, off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The Coal Oil Point Seep releases so much oil that tar balls wash up on nearby beaches . Tar balls are small, sticky pieces of pollution that eventually decompose in the ocean.

Human activity also contributes to water pollution. Chemicals and oils from factories are sometimes dumped or seep into waterways. These chemicals are called runoff. Chemicals in runoff can create a toxic environment for aquatic life. Runoff can also help create a fertile environment for cyanobacteria , also called blue-green algae . Cyanobacteria reproduce rapidly, creating a harmful algal bloom (HAB) . Harmful algal blooms prevent organisms such as plants and fish from living in the ocean. They are associated with “ dead zones ” in the world’s lakes and rivers, places where little life exists below surface water. Mining and drilling can also contribute to water pollution. Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a major contributor to pollution of rivers and streams near coal mines . Acid helps miners remove coal from the surrounding rocks . The acid is washed into streams and rivers, where it reacts with rocks and sand. It releases chemical sulfur from the rocks and sand, creating a river rich in sulfuric acid . Sulfuric acid is toxic to plants, fish, and other aquatic organisms. Sulfuric acid is also toxic to people, making rivers polluted by AMD dangerous sources of water for drinking and hygiene . Oil spills are another source of water pollution. In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing oil to gush from the ocean floor. In the following months, hundreds of millions of gallons of oil spewed into the gulf waters. The spill produced large plumes of oil under the sea and an oil slick on the surface as large as 24,000 square kilometers (9,100 square miles). The oil slick coated wetlands in the U.S. states of Louisiana and Mississippi, killing marsh plants and aquatic organisms such as crabs and fish. Birds, such as pelicans , became coated in oil and were unable to fly or access food. More than two million animals died as a result of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Buried chemical waste can also pollute water supplies. For many years, people disposed of chemical wastes carelessly, not realizing its dangers. In the 1970s, people living in the Love Canal area in Niagara Falls, New York, suffered from extremely high rates of cancer and birth defects . It was discovered that a chemical waste dump had poisoned the area’s water. In 1978, 800 families living in Love Canal had to a bandon their homes. If not disposed of properly, radioactive waste from nuclear power plants can escape into the environment. Radioactive waste can harm living things and pollute the water. Sewage that has not been properly treated is a common source of water pollution. Many cities around the world have poor sewage systems and sewage treatment plants. Delhi, the capital of India, is home to more than 21 million people. More than half the sewage and other waste produced in the city are dumped into the Yamuna River. This pollution makes the river dangerous to use as a source of water for drinking or hygiene. It also reduces the river’s fishery , resulting in less food for the local community. A major source of water pollution is fertilizer used in agriculture . Fertilizer is material added to soil to make plants grow larger and faster. Fertilizers usually contain large amounts of the elements nitrogen and phosphorus , which help plants grow. Rainwater washes fertilizer into streams and lakes. There, the nitrogen and phosphorus cause cyanobacteria to form harmful algal blooms. Rain washes other pollutants into streams and lakes. It picks up animal waste from cattle ranches. Cars drip oil onto the street, and rain carries it into storm drains , which lead to waterways such as rivers and seas. Rain sometimes washes chemical pesticides off of plants and into streams. Pesticides can also seep into groundwater , the water beneath the surface of the Earth. Heat can pollute water. Power plants, for example, produce a huge amount of heat. Power plants are often located on rivers so they can use the water as a coolant . Cool water circulates through the plant, absorbing heat. The heated water is then returned to the river. Aquatic creatures are sensitive to changes in temperature. Some fish, for example, can only live in cold water. Warmer river temperatures prevent fish eggs from hatching. Warmer river water also contributes to harmful algal blooms. Another type of water pollution is simple garbage. The Citarum River in Indonesia, for example, has so much garbage floating in it that you cannot see the water. Floating trash makes the river difficult to fish in. Aquatic animals such as fish and turtles mistake trash, such as plastic bags, for food. Plastic bags and twine can kill many ocean creatures. Chemical pollutants in trash can also pollute the water, making it toxic for fish and people who use the river as a source of drinking water. The fish that are caught in a polluted river often have high levels of chemical toxins in their flesh. People absorb these toxins as they eat the fish. Garbage also fouls the ocean. Many plastic bottles and other pieces of trash are thrown overboard from boats. The wind blows trash out to sea. Ocean currents carry plastics and other floating trash to certain places on the globe, where it cannot escape. The largest of these areas, called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, is in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. According to some estimates, this garbage patch is the size of Texas. The trash is a threat to fish and seabirds, which mistake the plastic for food. Many of the plastics are covered with chemical pollutants. Land Pollution Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also harm the land. Mining sometimes leaves the soil contaminated with dangerous chemicals. Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They can harm plants, animals, and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables absorb the pesticides that help them grow. When people consume the fruits and vegetables, the pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can cause cancer and other diseases. A pesticide called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was once commonly used to kill insects, especially mosquitoes. In many parts of the world, mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria , which kills a million people every year. Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for his understanding of how DDT can control insects and other pests. DDT is responsible for reducing malaria in places such as Taiwan and Sri Lanka. In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring , which discussed the dangers of DDT. She argued that it could contribute to cancer in humans. She also explained how it was destroying bird eggs, which caused the number of bald eagles, brown pelicans, and ospreys to drop. In 1972, the United States banned the use of DDT. Many other countries also banned it. But DDT didn’t disappear entirely. Today, many governments support the use of DDT because it remains the most effective way to combat malaria. Trash is another form of land pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass jars, plastic products, and junked cars and appliances mar the landscape. Litter makes it difficult for plants and other producers in the food web to create nutrients . Animals can die if they mistakenly eat plastic. Garbage often contains dangerous pollutants such as oils, chemicals, and ink. These pollutants can leech into the soil and harm plants, animals, and people. Inefficient garbage collection systems contribute to land pollution. Often, the garbage is picked up and brought to a dump, or landfill . Garbage is buried in landfills. Sometimes, communities produce so much garbage that their landfills are filling up. They are running out of places to dump their trash. A massive landfill near Quezon City, Philippines, was the site of a land pollution tragedy in 2000. Hundreds of people lived on the slopes of the Quezon City landfill. These people made their living from recycling and selling items found in the landfill. However, the landfill was not secure. Heavy rains caused a trash landslide, killing 218 people. Sometimes, landfills are not completely sealed off from the land around them. Pollutants from the landfill leak into the earth in which they are buried. Plants that grow in the earth may be contaminated, and the herbivores that eat the plants also become contaminated. So do the predators that consume the herbivores. This process, where a chemical builds up in each level of the food web, is called bioaccumulation . Pollutants leaked from landfills also leak into local groundwater supplies. There, the aquatic food web (from microscopic algae to fish to predators such as sharks or eagles) can suffer from bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals. Some communities do not have adequate garbage collection systems, and trash lines the side of roads. In other places, garbage washes up on beaches. Kamilo Beach, in the U.S. state of Hawai'i, is littered with plastic bags and bottles carried in by the tide . The trash is dangerous to ocean life and reduces economic activity in the area. Tourism is Hawai'i’s largest industry . Polluted beaches discourage tourists from investing in the area’s hotels, restaurants, and recreational activities. Some cities incinerate , or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of it, but it can release dangerous heavy metals and chemicals into the air. So while trash incinerators can help with the problem of land pollution, they sometimes add to the problem of air pollution. Reducing Pollution Around the world, people and governments are making efforts to combat pollution. Recycling, for instance, is becoming more common. In recycling, trash is processed so its useful materials can be used again. Glass, aluminum cans, and many types of plastic can be melted and reused . Paper can be broken down and turned into new paper. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills, incinerators, and waterways. Austria and Switzerland have the highest recycling rates. These nations recycle between 50 and 60 percent of their garbage. The United States recycles about 30 percent of its garbage. Governments can combat pollution by passing laws that limit the amount and types of chemicals factories and agribusinesses are allowed to use. The smoke from coal-burning power plants can be filtered. People and businesses that illegally dump pollutants into the land, water, and air can be fined for millions of dollars. Some government programs, such as the Superfund program in the United States, can force polluters to clean up the sites they polluted. International agreements can also reduce pollution. The Kyoto Protocol , a United Nations agreement to limit the emission of greenhouse gases, has been signed by 191 countries. The United States, the world’s second-largest producer of greenhouse gases, did not sign the agreement. Other countries, such as China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, have not met their goals. Still, many gains have been made. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River, in the U.S. state of Ohio, was so clogged with oil and trash that it caught on fire. The fire helped spur the Clean Water Act of 1972. This law limited what pollutants could be released into water and set standards for how clean water should be. Today, the Cuyahoga River is much cleaner. Fish have returned to regions of the river where they once could not survive. But even as some rivers are becoming cleaner, others are becoming more polluted. As countries around the world become wealthier, some forms of pollution increase. Countries with growing economies usually need more power plants, which produce more pollutants. Reducing pollution requires environmental, political, and economic leadership. Developed nations must work to reduce and recycle their materials, while developing nations must work to strengthen their economies without destroying the environment. Developed and developing countries must work together toward the common goal of protecting the environment for future use.

How Long Does It Last? Different materials decompose at different rates. How long does it take for these common types of trash to break down?

• Paper: 2-4 weeks
• Orange peel: 6 months
• Milk carton: 5 years
• Plastic bag: 15 years
• Tin can: 100 years
• Plastic bottle: 450 years
• Glass bottle: 500 years
• Styrofoam: Never

Indoor Air Pollution The air inside your house can be polluted. Air and carpet cleaners, insect sprays, and cigarettes are all sources of indoor air pollution.

Light Pollution Light pollution is the excess amount of light in the night sky. Light pollution, also called photopollution, is almost always found in urban areas. Light pollution can disrupt ecosystems by confusing the distinction between night and day. Nocturnal animals, those that are active at night, may venture out during the day, while diurnal animals, which are active during daylight hours, may remain active well into the night. Feeding and sleep patterns may be confused. Light pollution also indicates an excess use of energy. The dark-sky movement is a campaign by people to reduce light pollution. This would reduce energy use, allow ecosystems to function more normally, and allow scientists and stargazers to observe the atmosphere.

Noise Pollution Noise pollution is the constant presence of loud, disruptive noises in an area. Usually, noise pollution is caused by construction or nearby transportation facilities, such as airports. Noise pollution is unpleasant, and can be dangerous. Some songbirds, such as robins, are unable to communicate or find food in the presence of heavy noise pollution. The sound waves produced by some noise pollutants can disrupt the sonar used by marine animals to communicate or locate food.

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• Published: 04 September 2024

A local-to-global emissions inventory of macroplastic pollution

• Joshua W. Cottom   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3480-3982 1 ,
• Ed Cook   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-3902-7705 1 &
• Costas A. Velis   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1906-726X 1  

Nature volume  633 ,  pages 101–108 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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• Engineering
• Environmental sciences

Negotiations for a global treaty on plastic pollution 1 will shape future policies on plastics production, use and waste management. Its parties will benefit from a high-resolution baseline of waste flows and plastic emission sources to enable identification of pollution hotspots and their causes 2 . Nationally aggregated waste management data can be distributed to smaller scales to identify generalized points of plastic accumulation and source phenomena 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 . However, it is challenging to use this type of spatial allocation to assess the conditions under which emissions take place 12 , 13 . Here we develop a global macroplastic pollution emissions inventory by combining conceptual modelling of emission mechanisms with measurable activity data. We define emissions as materials that have moved from the managed or mismanaged system (controlled or contained state) to the unmanaged system (uncontrolled or uncontained state—the environment). Using machine learning and probabilistic material flow analysis, we identify emission hotspots across 50,702 municipalities worldwide from five land-based plastic waste emission sources. We estimate global plastic waste emissions at 52.1 [48.3–56.3] million metric tonnes (Mt) per year, with approximately 57% wt. and 43% wt. open burned and unburned debris, respectively. Littering is the largest emission source in the Global North, whereas uncollected waste is the dominant emissions source across the Global South. We suggest that our findings can help inform treaty negotiations and develop national and sub-national waste management action plans and source inventories.

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Plastic pollution is a global challenge requiring immediate action owing its environmental persistence and negative impact on ecosystems 14 , infrastructure 15 , society and the economy 16 . The importance of this burgeoning issue has recently been recognized by the ratification of a United Nations draft resolution to create an internationally legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution 1 , hereafter the ‘Plastics Treaty’. A global plastic pollution emissions inventory has been suggested as being critical to the success of the Plastics Treaty 17 and such inventories have already been applied in the climate change field 18 and as early evidence for a global legally binding agreement on mercury 19 , 20 —eventually the Minamata Convention 21 .

Previous efforts to model global plastic waste emissions and movement through the environment have demonstrated the scale of the issue, highlighting large macroplastic emissions from countries with extensive coastlines, large populations and insufficient waste management 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 . Yet there is a growing understanding that a much higher (sub-national) resolution is required, which identifies plastic pollution hotspots and accounts for specific local solid waste management, behavioural, cultural and socio-economic conditions 12 , 17 . We believe that the very concept of ‘emissions’ also requires clarification, owing to the complexity of the phenomena ( Methods and Extended Data Fig. 1 ). We use it here for clarity rather than the loosely defined terms of ‘leakage’ and ‘mismanaged waste’ described elsewhere 22 and we deliberately avoid the term ‘release’ suggested by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 23 , which could imply deliberate activity. We define plastic emissions as material that has moved from the managed or mismanaged systems (in which waste is subject to a form of control, however basic; contained state) to the unmanaged system (the environment; uncontained state) with no control. We further classify emissions according to two categories: (1) debris (physical particles >5 mm) and (2) open burning (mass combusted in open uncontrolled fires). For clarification, open burning emissions relate to the mass of material that is subjected to the practice, rather than the gaseous, liquid or solid matter emitted by the process. Further definitions and scope are in Supplementary Information Section S.2 .

Mapping and quantification of plastic waste material flows is hindered by the lack of sufficiently detailed and up-to-date records of waste management practices and quantities at a local level 24 , which prevents the complete assessment of emissions from human systems 25 . Although coordinated work is underway to remedy this data paucity 24 , a measurable baseline is urgently required to inform Plastics Treaty obligations 17 . As with greenhouse gas 18 or mercury 19 , 20 emissions inventories, this baseline would enable a more rational distribution of overseas development assistance, empower policymakers with scarce resources to develop evidence-based specialized national and sub-national strategies, action plans and targets 25 , and create a strong evidential basis for the reorganization of material systems that have been the focus of Plastics Treaty proposals 26 and negotiations 27 . Therefore, we created a macroplastic emissions inventory using a new methodology to quantify emissions for 50,702 municipality-level administrations from five land-based sources: (1) uncollected waste; (2) littering; (3) collection system; (4) uncontrolled disposal; and (5) rejects from sorting and reprocessing (Fig. 1 ). Unmeasured data were predicted using machine learning and flows were mapped using probabilistic material flow analysis (MFA) for the year 2020. See  Methods and Supplementary Information for detailed methodology.

Key plastic pollution sources and generalized waste management and circular economy flows are shown in this explanatory framework. Detailed materials and methods are available in the  Supplementary Information .

Global emissions of plastic waste

We estimate that 52.1 Mt year −1  [48.3–56.3] of macroplastic waste were emitted into the unmanaged system in 2020, representing 21% (wt.) of all the municipal plastic waste generated (251.7 Mt year −1  [233.1–272.4]) globally (statistics reported are the arithmetic mean of all iterations—simulation runs; the 5th and 95th percentiles are in square brackets). Approximately 43% (wt.) (22.2 Mt year −1  [20.6–24.0]) is unburned ‘debris’, meaning that it is no longer subject to any form of management or direct control and is at risk of transport across land and into the aquatic environment.

Most plastic pollution models do not report emissions in a way that is comparable with the present work, instead reporting emissions to ‘the aquatic environment’ 3 , ‘aquatic ecosystems’ 6 , ‘the ocean’ 8 , 28 , ‘mismanaged plastic waste’ 5 and ‘riverine outflows’ 29 . However, two studies report comparable data. Ryberg et al. 11 estimated macroplastic debris emissions to the environment at 6.2 Mt year −1 (confidence interval (CI): 2.0–20.4) in 2015. The upper end of the CI is within the range of our 5th percentile for debris emissions but the central estimate is approximately 3.5 times lower than our mean. The categories reported by Ryberg et al. 11 include sea-based, industrial and construction sources, which are all outside the scope of our model. Removing these would reduce their central estimate to 4.9 Mt year −1 , 4.5 times lower than our mean estimate. The sum of ‘terrestrial’ and ‘aquatic’ emissions estimated by Lau et al. 9 for 2016 was 29 Mt (95% CI: 22–39). This estimate includes microplastics and material emitted at sea but is otherwise congruent with our debris emissions category. Although the average reported by Lau et al. 9 is approximately 23% higher than our mean estimate, the lower CI is approximately the same as our mean debris emissions.

Our model improves on earlier works and provides new information in five ways: (1) in this model, we used a bottom-up approach rather than regional 10 and archetypal 9 averages distributed to finer resolution (top-down approach); (2) our finer resolution accounts for spatial heterogeneity in sub-national waste management data; (3) we modelled emissions from five separate downstream sources rather than the single homogenous source used in other models 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 28 —‘mismanaged (plastic) waste’ 22 , an umbrella term that encompasses a range of insufficiencies in waste management 12 ; (4) our definition of ‘emission’ includes waste that escapes from ‘dumpsites’ 24 (defined in Methods ) but excludes that retained within them because it is mostly buried beneath the waste mass 30 and poses a low risk of being blown or washed into the unmanaged system 31 . Only the ‘working face’ of these sites contains material at risk of transmission through the action of wind and surface water runoff 32 (Supplementary Information Section S.8.9 ). Conversely, it is self-evident that waste that is uncollected, scattered on land or accumulated in smaller ‘informal dumps’ has a much higher probability of being mobilized and transported across the terrestrial surface and into the aquatic environment; and 5) We account for the open burning of waste (Supplementary Information Section S.8.11 ), which is not specifically considered in most plastic pollution models 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 28 and which our results indicate contributes to 57% (29.9 Mt year −1  [27.6–32.4]) of all plastic waste emitted, resulting in widespread risk to human health and the environment 33 . As far as we are aware, only Lau et al. 9 report a comparable estimate of open burning of municipal solid waste plastic of 49 Mt year −1 (95% CI: 40–60) for 2016, two-thirds more than our estimate. The reason for this difference is the method of calculation. Whereas Lau et al. 9 used emission factors derived from expert assumptions published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 18 and extrapolated from Wiedinmyer et al. 34 , our study uses census and survey activity data from 44 countries (Supplementary Information Section S.8.11 ).

Plastic emission hotspots outlook

On an absolute basis, we find that plastic pollution emissions are highest across countries in Southern Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and South-eastern Asia (Fig. 2a–c ), with the largest amount (9.3 Mt year −1  [6.5–12.7]) emitted by India, equivalent to nearly one-fifth of global plastic emissions. In contrast to previous plastic pollution models that positioned China as the world’s highest plastic polluter 5 , 8 , it is ranked fourth in our results, with emissions of 2.8 Mt year −1  [2.1–3.7], less than Nigeria (3.5 Mt year −1  [2.6–4.6]) and Indonesia (3.4 Mt year −1  [2.5–4.3]). This lower contribution to plastic emissions from China reflects our use of more up-to-date data 35 that shows its substantial progress in adopting waste incineration and controlled landfill 36 . Conversely, India reports that its dumpsites (uncontrolled land disposal) outnumber sanitary landfills by 10:1 (ref.  37 ) and, despite the claim that there is a national collection coverage of 95%, there is evidence that official statistics do not include rural areas, open burning of uncollected waste or waste recycled by the informal sector 38 . This means that India’s official waste generation rate (approximately 0.12 kilograms per capita per day (kg cap −1  day −1 )) is probably underestimated and waste collection overestimated. Our model corrects for flows missing in officially reported statistics, resulting in a waste generation rate for India of 0.54 kg cap −1  day −1  [0.39–0.73], which is similar to and between other comparable estimates 38 , 39 , 40 .

a , Mean macroplastic emissions by country. Inset illustrates mean municipal-level emissions for India, from which the national results are calculated. Box plots show distribution of probabilistic material flow analysis results for the three highest macroplastic emitting countries in each United Nations sub-region. Box plot statistics: lower and upper hinges correspond to the first and third quartiles and the central line is the median. Whiskers extend to the data point no further than 1.5 times the interquartile range from the hinge, with outlier values beyond this denoted as dots. b , Emissions by United Nations sub-region and settlement typology 54 . Two groups of United Nations sub-regions are merged for simplicity into ‘Rest of Europe’ (Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe) and ‘Oceania’ (Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia). c , Mean emissions by United Nations sub-region and emission type. d , Mean proportion of macroplastic emissions by plastic format for the income categories of HIC and low-income or middle-income countries (LMIC).

Our data for India indicate a collection coverage of 81% [80–82], meaning that nearly 53% (wt.) [51–56] of the country’s plastic waste emissions (30% wt. [29–32] debris and 23% wt. [22–25] open burning) come from the 255 [241–270] million people (18% [17–19] of the population) whose waste is uncollected. Most of the remaining emissions (38% wt. [36–40]) are as a result of open burning on dumpsites, in which fires are reported to be common 38 . Overall, we estimate that 56.8 Mt year −1  [40.0–77.7] of municipal solid waste is open burned in India, of which 5.8 Mt year −1  [4.1–7.9] is plastic. This is within the lower end of the ranges modelled by Chaudhary et al. 38 of 74.0 Mt year −1 (uncertainty: 30–92) and Sharma et al. 39 of 68 Mt year −1 (range: 45–105).

Open burning rather than intact items (debris) is the predominant emission type across most United Nations sub-regions, except for those which are predominantly in the Global North (Northern America, Northern Europe, Western Europe and Australia and New Zealand) and Sub-Saharan Africa, in which debris emissions (7.4 Mt year −1  [6.7–8.2]) are slightly higher than open burning emissions (5.9 Mt year −1  [5.2–6.6]) (Fig. 2c ). This result is driven by data that indicate lower levels of open burning in the rural areas of low-income countries (LICs), of which there are many in the Sub-Saharan Africa region (Supplementary Fig. S.24d,f ).

Approximately 69% (35.7 Mt year −1 ) of the world’s plastic waste emissions come from 20 countries, of which four are LICs, nine are lower middle-income countries (LMCs) and seven are upper middle-income countries (UMCs). Despite high-income countries (HICs) having higher plastic waste generation rates (0.17 kg cap −1  day −1  [0.15–0.20]), none are ranked in the top 90 polluters, because most have 100% collection coverage and controlled disposal. Furthermore, our modelling accounts for the mitigating impact of street sweeping activity on emissions, which is greater in HICs (Supplementary Information Section S.8.5 ). We acknowledge that we may have underestimated plastic waste emissions from some HICs because we deliberately excluded plastic waste exports from our analysis. As explained in Supplementary Information Section S.2 , plastic waste exports from the top ten Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) exporters to non-OECD countries and Turkey have substantially decreased from nearly 5.4 Mt year −1 in 2017 to less than 1.7 Mt year −1 in 2022 (ref.  41 ), contributing approximately 0.03 Mt year −1 of emissions. Although this might affect some individual country results, the overall effect would be negligible in comparison with other sources.

Countries in low-income and middle-income categories have much lower plastic waste generation (LICs: 0.04 kg cap −1  day −1 ; LMCs: 0.07 kg cap −1  day −1 ; UMCs: 0.10 kg cap −1  day −1 ). However, in contrast to HICs, a large proportion of it is either uncollected (LICs: 55% wt.; LMCs: 26% wt.; UMCs: 11% wt.) or disposed of in dumpsites (uncontrolled disposal) (LICs: 36% wt.; LMCs: 57% wt.; UMCs: 19% wt.). The nine countries that make up the Southern Asia region emit a similar amount of plastic waste (15.1 Mt year −1  [12.1–18.7]) to the 51 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (13.3 Mt year −1  [12.0–14.7]) (Fig. 2b,c ), with Nigeria contributing to approximately one-quarter (3.5 Mt year −1  [2.7–4.6]) of the Sub-Saharan African burden. Urban areas (cities, towns and semi-densely populated areas) account for most emissions in all regions (Fig. 2b ) because of low rural populations (Supplementary Information Section  7.1 ) and much lower plastic waste generation. However, we acknowledge that notable data gaps on solid waste management in rural communities exist and future efforts to address plastic pollution must include these often overlooked communities 42 .

Flexible plastic debris has a higher probability of being emitted into the environment in the Global South compared with rigid debris (mean ratio 56:44), driven by its greater prevalence (waste composition) and its propensity for mobilization under the action of wind and surface water (Fig. 2d ). In the Global North (for example, Northern America), the opposite is true (mean ratio 33:67) because rigid plastics are more prevalent in the waste and because emissions are driven by littering rather than meteorological forcing.

Per-capita emission hotspots

The contrast between absolute plastic waste emissions from the Global North and the Global South is stark (Fig. 3a,c ). However, on a per-capita basis, insufficiencies in local and national waste management systems are more apparent (Extended Data Figs. 2 – 6 ). For example, China, the world’s fourth largest absolute emitter, is one of the least polluting UMCs, ranked 153 of all countries on a per-capita basis (1.97 kg cap −1  year −1  [1.48–2.61]), and India, the world’s largest absolute emitter, is ranked 127 on a per-capita basis (6.64 kg cap −1  year −1  [4.66–9.08]). Conversely, Russia, the world’s fifth largest emitter on an absolute basis, also has high emissions on a per-capita basis (11.71 kg cap −1  year −1  [7.80–16.17]) because it is reported to have very low levels of controlled disposal 43 , 44 . Many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that show low absolute plastic emissions are hotspots on a per-capita basis (Extended Data Fig. 4 ). Given the anticipated population boom in the region 45 , it is conceivable that, with an average emission rate of 12.01 kg cap −1  year −1  [10.83–13.25], Sub-Saharan Africa will become the world’s largest absolute source of plastic pollution within the next few decades.

a , Mean macroplastic emissions by country. b , Probability distributions of macroplastic emissions for six global cities >1 million population. c , Country-level macroplastic emissions by income category. Black dots are individual country results in each income category. The lower and upper hinges of the box plots correspond to the first and third quartiles and the central line is the median. Whiskers extend to the data point no further than 1.5 times the interquartile range from the hinge.

Municipal-scale probability distributions indicate substantial uncertainty within municipalities for some of our model outputs (Fig. 3b ). For example, the 5th and 95th percentiles of plastic emissions are 0.77–11.87 kg cap −1  year −1 (median 3.62 kg cap −1  year −1 ) for Agra (India) and 0.11–4.72 kg cap −1  year −1 (median 0.34 kg cap −1  year −1 ) for Maracaibo (Venezuela). The large ranges within many municipalities and relatively high kurtosis, for example, Shenzhen (42.3) and Maracaibo (19.9), are a consequence of our conservative application of probability density functions for many of the model’s input data, which have propagated through to the results.

Despite the wide uncertainty within each municipality, there are very large differences between many of them, enough to differentiate the most challenging locations from the least (Fig. 3b ). For example, median plastic emissions for Hamburg (Germany) are estimated at 0.02 kg cap −1  year −1  [0.01–0.06] compared with Mogadishu (Somalia), which has almost 680 times more (13.63 kg cap −1  year −1  [4.05–36.70]). Such large differences demonstrate that substantial reductions in plastic emissions are feasible, reiterating the importance of measuring sound solid waste management activity data. Continuing efforts to gather more reliable municipal-scale information 24 for SDG indicator 11.6.1 will gradually improve the accuracy of our model. However, much more comprehensive measurement and monitoring is required to improve the accuracy of flows that are rarely measured and that have been populated here using our conceptual sub-models.

Sources of plastic emissions

Uncollected waste is the largest contributor to plastic pollution in the Global South, accounting for 68% (35.6 Mt year −1 ) of all plastic waste emissions and 85% (18.7 Mt year −1 ) of all debris emissions. On a per-capita basis, uncollected waste represents 69%, 66% and 80% (wt.) of emissions in UMCs, LMCs and LICs, respectively (Fig. 4b ). Approximately 56% (19.9 Mt year −1  [17.8–22.3]) of emissions from uncollected waste come from LMCs, in which the mean collection coverage is 74% [72–75] (Fig. 4a ). Uncollected waste in LMCs accounts for 38% of total global plastic emissions and 51% (11.3 Mt year −1 ) of debris emissions. As far as we are aware, none of the other global plastic pollution models 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 11 , 28 has explicitly highlighted uncollected waste as the main source of plastic pollution, instead grouping it in the ‘mismanaged waste’ category or, in one case 9 , together with disposal site debris emissions. Here we show that plastic waste emissions from uncontrolled land disposal sites (dumpsites), although important, contribute 25% (12.8 Mt year −1  [11.5–14.3]) of global plastic waste emissions, of which 98% (wt.) is open burned. This means that just 0.25 Mt year −1 is emitted from land disposal sites as debris, approximately 0.4% (wt.) of plastics deposited in uncontrolled disposal sites worldwide. This is substantially less than has been inferred elsewhere. For example, Lau et al. 9 estimated that between 1% and 1.5% of rigid plastics and 8% and 13% of flexible and multimaterial plastics deposited in uncontrolled disposal sites would reach the aquatic environment each year. The difference is that Lau et al. 9 used expert judgement to derive their transfer coefficients, whereas this work used a more detailed sub-model based on the surface area and runoff characteristics of dumpsites detailed in Supplementary Information Section S. 8.9 .

Shown by: a , absolute mass and income category; b , per capita and income category; c , absolute mass and United Nations sub-region; and d , per capita and United Nations sub-region. Absolute mass of emissions ( a , c ) has unit Mt year −1 , whereas per-capita emissions ( b , d ) has unit kg cap −1  year −1 . Two groups of United Nations sub-regions are merged for simplicity into ‘Rest of Europe’ (Northern Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe) and ‘Oceania’ (Polynesia, Australia and New Zealand, Melanesia, Micronesia). LIC, low-income country; LMC, lower middle income country; UMC, upper middle income country; HIC, high-income country.

HICs contribute 0.3% (0.16 Mt year −1  [0.14–0.19]) of global plastic waste emissions. Among HICs, uncollected waste is the source of 21% [15–27] (0.03 Mt year −1  [0.02–0.05]) of plastic waste emissions, just 0.06% of the global emissions burden, largely because collection coverage is nearly 100%. The largest source of debris emissions in HICs is littering (see ‘Uncollected litter’ defined in Supplementary Table S.3 ), accounting for 53% of debris emissions and 49% (0.08 Mt year −1 , 0.06 kg cap year −1 ) of all plastic emissions in the Global North (Fig. 4a,b ). Of this, 0.03 Mt year −1 takes place in Northern America and 0.03 Mt year −1 in the Rest of Europe region (Fig. 4c ), representing 0.09 kg cap year −1 and 0.07 kg cap year −1 , respectively (Fig. 4d ). The behavioural nature of littering 46 contrasts with the underlying drivers of other emission sources, especially those in the Global South. This is because, although littering is negatively correlated with waste receptacle provision 47 , it is largely driven by the decisions of individuals 46 . By contrast, the 1.5 billion individuals whose waste is uncollected in the Global South have little choice but to self-manage it (defined in Supplementary Information Section S.4.1 ).

The mismanagement of rejects from plastics sorting and reprocessing (recycling system) in both the Global North and the Global South results in 1.0 Mt year −1  [0.9–1.1] of plastic waste emissions to the environment. These emissions have often been the focus of attention, particularly in relation to the transboundary trade (exports) in waste plastics 48 . However, here we show that the emissions burden from recycling macroplastic rejects is comparatively very small.

An inventory to support the treaty

The purpose of our study was to create a macroplastic pollution inventory method for baselining and monitoring emissions at the local scale, at which on-the-ground actions can be applied. Such an emissions inventory, explaining the mechanisms for emission from the waste management and societal systems, could form a basis for a more detailed and comprehensive assessment of possible interventions. Once macroplastics have entered the environment, they are technically and economically challenging to remove 49 and, over time, will inevitably fragment into innumerable microplastics 50 , making clean-up efforts even more challenging. Minimizing plastic pollution at source by preventing the emission event in the first place must be a priority of the Plastics Treaty 17 and our insight indicates that tackling uncollected waste would have a bigger impact than mitigating all other land-based macroplastic sources combined. Notably, we already have a large global workforce of informal recyclers, entrepreneurs who our model shows collect more than 49.8 Mt year −1  [45.1–54.9] of waste plastics annually, much of which would otherwise be mismanaged.

We suggest that interventions to reduce uncollected plastic waste would focus on upstream material reduction to reduce waste generation and/or substantial improvement of waste collection services and infrastructure, and our emissions inventory sets a detailed basis for this. As highlighted elsewhere 9 , 51 , mitigating plastic waste emissions will require a multisectoral approach that includes addressing insufficiencies across the lifecycle, including redesign of product systems, source reduction and improving recycling systems worldwide. The plausibility of timely and at-scale deployment of such interventions needs to be carefully reassessed in the context of our new results.

The large mass of waste that is burned in open uncontrolled fires has not formed a central part of discussions at Plastics Treaty negotiations 26 , 27 . Yet, according to our model, more plastic waste is burned than is emitted as debris worldwide, releasing a cocktail of potentially hazardous substances and climate forcing emissions, which may have a substantial impact on human health and ecological systems 33 . An unintended consequence of interventions to mitigate the release of debris could result in an increase in emissions from open burning and vice versa 52 . Therefore, we propose that the inclusion of this phenomenon is a critical component of the forthcoming negotiations: clearly, choosing between two main forms of plastic pollution should not be an option.

We acknowledge that there is a dearth of robust, quality-controlled and verifiable waste management activity data. We have tediously screened, assessed, harmonized and corrected relevant data, incorporating uncertainty using a probabilistic approach. We have designed a conceptual framework that allows the model’s input data and structure to be continuously updated. As more quality-controlled locally obtained measurements from across the waste and resources system become available, and our understanding of release mechanisms improves, the model’s precision and accuracy can be ameliorated.

As with international climate change agreements 53 , signatories to the Plastics Treaty will require a method to calculate and baseline their plastic waste emissions so that they can compare them with others. Our emissions inventory enables them to carry out these estimates at high resolution by conceptualizing the mechanisms of emission, providing insights into the nature, extent and causes of plastic pollution and, therefore, enabling development of evidence-based national and sub-national action plans to eliminate plastic in our environment.

We created a macroplastic emissions inventory using a new methodology to quantify emissions from land-based sources for 50,702 municipality-level administrations 55 (see  Supplementary Information for details on the method). We define plastic emissions as material that has moved from the managed or mismanaged systems (in which waste is subject to a form of control, however basic) to the unmanaged system (the environment) with no control. For example, open dumpsites, defined here as structures that contain concentrations of collected waste with only basic control to prevent its interaction with the environment, are a form of control, because most of the material buried beneath the waste mass is unlikely to undergo further movement into the environment.

Material was mapped through 81 downstream (after-use phase) processes to simulate the flow of municipal solid waste through globally diverse waste management systems (Fig. 1 and Supplementary Information Section  4 ). Emissions of land-based macroplastic debris (physical particles >5 mm) and open burning (combustion in open uncontrolled fires) from municipal solid waste (defined in Supplementary Information Section S.2 ) were quantified for flexible and rigid plastics (format). Activity data (the intensity of waste and resources recovery management activity) were obtained from four global 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 and two national 35 , 60 waste management databases. These were checked for errors, harmonized to a consistent basis and corrected if necessary, creating the first comprehensively quality controlled city-level solid waste management database with worldwide coverage (Supplementary Data  1 ). Our primary input data represent 12.2% of the 2015 global population, spanning each of the World Bank income categories (LICs: 12.0%; LMCs: 11.4%; UMCs: 13.5%; HICs: 11.2%). Further discussion on the representativeness of our input data is presented in Supplementary Information Section S.6.7 .

Quantile regression random forest models 61 predicted data for all global municipalities using national and sub-national socio-economic indicators. Waste management, circular economy and plastic waste emission characteristics, variables that are not commonly measured or reported, were estimated using data from the literature or through the creation of new conceptual models. These newly developed ‘sub-models’ (Supplementary Information Sections S.8.2 , S.8.3 , S.8.3.4 , S.8.5 , S.8.5.2 , S.8.8 , S.8.9 , S.8.11.1 and S.9.1.2 ) used data on human behaviour, material value, socio-economic development, population density and solid waste management performance, creating an explanatory framework through which to estimate unmeasured system characteristics. The use of ‘process-level sub-models’ to describe larger systems has recently been advocated for plastic pollution modelling 13 .

Probabilistic (Monte Carlo simulation) MFA mapped flows of municipal solid waste (5,000 iterations) throughout the system (Supplementary Information Section S.4 ), resulting in detailed information on municipal solid waste and plastic waste management for each global municipality (Supplementary Data  5 ). Emissions into the unmanaged system, defined here as uncontained waste that is no longer subject to any form of management or control, were estimated for five key sources: (1) uncollected waste; (2) littering; (3) collection system; (4) uncontrolled disposal; and (5) rejects from sorting and reprocessing (Extended Data Fig. 1 ). The probabilistic MFA used probability density functions from two sources: (1) the results of the machine learning predictions and (2) from the secondary data collection and processing step detailed in Supplementary Information Section S.8 . A full list of probability density functions used in our model is available in Supplementary Data  6 and the MFA equations are shown in Supplementary Data  2 .

These flows and their associated uncertainty were aggregated to the national scale (Supplementary Data  3 ) to align with reporting for SDG indicator 11.6.1 (ref.  24 ) and to the regional and global scales (Supplementary Data  4 ) to create a multiresolution global plastic emissions inventory (Fig. 1 and Extended Data Fig. 7 ). This inventory is the first-stage prerequisite for a second terrestrial transport model (not discussed further here), collectively named the ‘Spatio-temporal quantification of plastic pollution origins and transport’ model (SPOT). Although we acknowledge that upstream processes during the production, conversion and use phases result in a range of emissions from plastics, they are outside the scope of our modelling. We also exclude textiles, sea-based sources of plastic pollution and waste electrical and electronic equipment. To improve comprehension of proportionality, the results are reported as the mean of all iterations (simulation runs). Numbers in square brackets are the 5th and 95th percentiles of all iterations. As there are no datasets with which to validate our model outputs, we took the same approach as Lau et al. 9 and carried out global sensitivity analysis to assess the influence of the model inputs and structure on its results (Supplementary Information Section S.10 ).

We warn readers to consider the full uncertainty in our MFA results, particularly for municipal-scale outputs at which the ranges are generally much larger than national-scale or regional-scale aggregations. The origins of uncertainty in our model are discussed at length in Supplementary Information Section S.9.2.2 . We also explain in Supplementary Information Section S.9.1.1 a specific circumstance in which we decided not to quantify uncertainty for the uncontrolled disposal coefficient (tC3) owing to limitations of the quantile regression random forest predictive capability for that particular aspect of the system.

Data availability

Supplementary Data  1 – 6 are freely available as part of the Supplementary Information and are available from Dryad: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9gxb . Administrative boundaries used for the maps were sourced from GADM version 3.6 and are available from https://gadm.org/ .

Code availability

All code, model inputs and outputs are available from Dryad: https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9gxb .

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Y. Gavish, data analyst, for comments on modelling uncertainty and machine learning; A. Savvantoglou for illustrations and graphic design; C. Gonzales and M. Harkness for data cleaning; K. Terzidis for collection and analysis of incineration data. For assistance in securing access to municipality-related primary data and assisting with comprehension of data collection and reporting methods used by the main international datasets: N. Takeuchi (UN-Habitat), A. Whiteman (Wasteaware), M. Newbury (United Nations Statistics Division) and S. Kaza (World Bank Group). Funding: this work was partly supported by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), with further in-kind support by the University of Leeds. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors’ alone and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of UN-Habitat.

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Joshua W. Cottom, Ed Cook & Costas A. Velis

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Contributions

J.W.C.: conceptualization; methodology; software; validation; formal analysis; investigation; data curation; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing; visualization. E.C.: conceptualization; methodology; validation; formal analysis; investigation; data curation; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing; visualization. C.A.V.: conceptualization; methodology; validation; formal analysis; investigation; data curation; writing – original draft; writing – review and editing; visualization; supervision; resources; funding acquisition.

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Correspondence to Costas A. Velis .

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Competing interests.

C.A.V. consults for organizations active in the waste, resources and circular economy sphere. He receives funding from UKRI, GCRF, NERC, ESRC, BBSRC, Royal Academy of Engineering, British Council, Innovate UK, EC H2020, World Bank Group, OECD, GIZ, UN-Habitat, UNESCAP, UNOPS, The Pew Charitable Trusts, IGES, ISWA, GRID-Arendal, Swedish EPA and SYSTEMIQ. He is affiliated with the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA), the Scientist’s Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty and the Innovation Alliance for a Global Plastics Treaty. The University of Leeds has memorandums of understanding with the Alliance To End Plastic Waste and the United Nations Environment Global Partnership on Plastic Pollution and Marine Litter (GPML), which refer to plastic pollution databases. E.C. has consulted for Tearfund.

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Extended data figures and tables

Extended data fig. 1 the point at which material passes from a contained to an uncontained state across the emission boundary is described here as an emission..

Emissions originate from five core emission sources and from three system parts (generated, managed and mismanaged), each of which exhibit different containment characteristics.

Extended Data Fig. 2 Macroplastic emissions into the environment (debris and open burned) by municipality in mean kg cap −1 year −1 for the year 2020.

Countries in the Global South have high per-capita emissions compared with those in the Global North.

Extended Data Fig. 3 Macroplastic emissions into the environment (debris and open burned) by municipality for Latin America and the Caribbean in mean kg cap −1 year −1 for the year 2020.

Hotspots for per-capita emissions include municipalities in Paraguay, Belize and Haiti, whereas municipalities in Uruguay and Chile have comparably lower emissions.

Extended Data Fig. 4 Macroplastic emissions into the environment (debris and open burned) by municipality for Africa in mean kg cap −1 year −1 for the year 2020.

Per-capita emissions are high throughout the continent, with notable hotspots including municipalities in South Sudan, Angola and Namibia. Several megacities stand out as key hotspots, including Lagos (Nigeria), Juba (South Sudan) and Nouakchott (Mauritania).

Extended Data Fig. 5 Macroplastic emissions into the environment (debris and open burned) by municipality for Eastern Asia and South-eastern Asia in mean kg cap −1 year −1 for the year 2020.

Emissions on a per-capita basis are low for municipalities in HICs, such as Japan and South Korea, but high throughout much of South-eastern Asia, particularly Cambodia. Eastern China has low per-capita emissions owing to recent progress in solid waste management. However, emissions are marginally higher in Western China.

Extended Data Fig. 6 Macroplastic emissions into the environment (debris and open burned) by municipality for Central Asia, Western Asia and Southern Asia in mean kg cap −1 year −1 for the year 2020.

Per-capita emissions are high throughout the region, with the exception of municipalities in HICs on the Arabian Peninsula, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arab Emirates. Municipalities in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Jordan and Syria have relatively high per-capita emissions. Although India has the highest absolute emissions of all countries, on a per-capita basis, most of its municipalities have between 5 and 10 kg cap −1  year −1 .

Extended Data Fig. 7  Graphical abstract for a local-to-global emissions inventory of macroplastic pollution.

Municipal level data were cleaned, harmonized and used to train a quantile regression random forest machine learning model, which was used to generate core material flow data for 50,702 municipalities worldwide. These data, combined with explanatory conceptual submodels, were used to populate and define flows in a probabilistic material flow analysis model (Monte Carlo) with 81 processes. The results are presented at municipal level, which showed a large variations in emissions, and then as aggregations at national, income category and global levels. The majority of emissions come from uncollected waste, whereas litter accounts for a comparatively small proportion worldwide. Of the 52.1 Mt year -1 (mean) of emissions produced, approximately 57% wt. are burned in open uncontrolled fires.

Supplementary information

Supplementary information.

This file contains Supplementary Methods, including Supplementary Figs. 1–30, Supplementary Tables 1–40 and Supplementary References. Further Supplementary Data for this article are available from Dryad at https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.8cz8w9gxb .

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Cottom, J.W., Cook, E. & Velis, C.A. A local-to-global emissions inventory of macroplastic pollution. Nature 633 , 101–108 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07758-6

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Received : 22 September 2023

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Published : 04 September 2024

Issue Date : 05 September 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07758-6

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Home — Essay Samples — Environment — Human Impact — Littering

Essays on Littering

Brief description of littering.

Littering refers to the careless disposal of waste in public spaces, contributing to environmental pollution and degradation. It is a pressing issue that threatens the health of our planet and its inhabitants. Understanding the causes and consequences of littering is essential in addressing this global concern.

Importance of ... Read More Brief Description of Littering

Importance of writing essays on this topic.

Writing essays on littering is crucial for raising awareness about the environmental and social impacts of irresponsible waste disposal. It provides a platform for critical analysis and reflection on individual and collective responsibilities in preserving the environment. Furthermore, it encourages research and advocacy for sustainable solutions to combat littering.

Tips on Choosing a Good Topic

• Consider current environmental issues related to littering, such as plastic pollution or cigarette butt disposal.
• Explore the impact of littering on wildlife and ecosystems.
• Investigate the social and cultural factors influencing littering behavior in different communities.

Essay Topics

• The Effects of Littering on Marine Life
• The Role of Education in Preventing Littering
• Analyzing the Psychological Factors Contributing to Littering Behavior
• The Economic Costs of Littering and Waste Management
• Exploring Innovative Solutions to Combat Littering
• The Link Between Littering and Public Health
• The Impact of Littering on Tourism and Community Development
• A Comparative Analysis of Anti-Littering Policies in Different Countries
• Reflecting on Personal Experiences with Littering and Environmental Consciousness
• The Ethical Implications of Littering and Individual Responsibility

Concluding Thought

By engaging with essay writing on littering, individuals can contribute to the ongoing dialogue on environmental sustainability and social responsibility. It is through critical examination and thoughtful discourse that we can work towards a cleaner and healthier world for future generations.

The Long Term Effects of Littering and Pollution on The Environment

Why people must stop littering, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

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Addressing The Menace of Littering

Effects of littering and the decision to stop littering, the growing problem of littering in the united states, solving the littering problem and finding possible solution, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Use of Plastic Bags in Kenya: Related Policy and Actions

Pros and cons of littering.

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, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles on the ground, and leave them there indefinitely or for other people to dispose of as opposed to disposing of them correctly.

Nearly all litter ends up in the ocean. The most littered item is fast food packaging. People on the move are more likely to litter most deliberate litterers are aged between 18 and 34. Many animals die as a result of littering.

Relevant topics

• Deforestation
• Fast Fashion
• Water Pollution
• Ocean Pollution
• Nuclear Energy
• Plastic Bags
• Endangered Species
• Air Pollution
• Climate Change

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