What You Don't Know About Litter Can Hurt You

Litter affects us all, whether you are conscious of it or not. In fact, most people probably tune it out on a daily basis. A food wrapper in the street, papers stuck in the storm water drain -- it seems we have become immune to the trash that surrounds us.

 What's odd is how something so small can have such large consequences. For instance, did you know that it takes a glass bottle one million years to decompose? Or that the Georgia Department of Transportation spends over $14 million dollars to clean up state highways? It's not often that something so common is so widely misunderstood and has such far-reaching effects. When you think about it, litter is everywhere (in our waterways, on our roads, even on our front lawns), but what do you really know about it?

 You might be surprised to learn the dirty facts, but education is a key component in the fight against litter. In August 2006, when Georgia unveiled a statewide anti-litter campaign, Litter. It Costs You, the state made sure that education was one of the key components, along with eradication (clean up) and enforcement. And "education" does not only refer to children. While there is a push to teach kids about litter, the goal is also to educate the general public – specifically the litterers among us - about the costs of litter in Georgia.

So how much do you really know? Sure, one cigarette butt is tiny, but did you know that when all are accounted for, they make up 20 percent of litter collected during community clean-ups?   Did you know that almost one quarter of all littered items eventually end up in our waterways? These little numbers add up faster than you may realize, and if you're thinking that the problem doesn't affect you, you're wrong.

Litter can decrease the value of your property, increase your taxes and bring insects and rodents to your neighborhood. And don't think you're in the clear if you live in a gated community or a high-end subdivision. Litter does not discriminate. Wind can take small pieces of litter and deposit them many miles from where they were originally discarded, and litterers cut across all social and economic boundaries.

Since no one is immune from litter, we must all pitch in. To learn more about the costs of litter, visit litteritcostsyou.org. The Web site has all the information you need to get educated, get involved and make a difference.

In the case of litter, what you don't know can hurt you, and it begs the question: if everyone knew all the small facts, would we still have such a big problem?