What Is Litter?

Litter is

"Waste Out of Place" and

Every Litter Bit Hurts

Our Environment

--Such as:

• Miscellaneous paper or cardboard
• Printed paper material (like newspapers, flyers, bus transfers, etc.)
• Towels/napkins/serviettes
• Pieces of plastic packaging
• Foil materials
• Candy and gum wrappers
• Cups, lids, pieces of both
• Cigarette butts
• Soft drink containers
• Stationary
• Bottle caps
• Straws
• And many, many other kinds of "waste out of place."

Litter is not limited to any one material or item, as the above list demonstrates, nor to a single source. It might have:

• Blown out of a truck bed;
• Been blown there by the wind; or
• Been deliberately dropped or thrown from a vehicle.

The types of litter tends to vary, depending on where you are. For example, litter found on beaches and riverbanks comes from a number of sources.

• Boaters, campers or other people on the riverside or beach bring a large amount of disposable items like newspapers, cigarettes, and packaging for food and drinks. When these items are taken home after use or put in a bin, no litter is created but if they are not disposed of responsibly – maybe because the wind caught it when the waste bin was already full or someone carelessly tossed it aside – waste becomes litter.
• Some litter on the shore can come from other places. For example, the litter that has been washed ashore by river currents could come from other riverbanks or from illegal dumping on or in the water. While some litter will rot over time, much of it remains unless it is collected and removed.