The Costs of Litter

Litter costs you whether you realize it or not.  I am here to tell you that if you litter, you are paying for it…and so are the rest of us.

Litter clean up costs in the United States total more than $11.5 billion each year!  Businesses actually have to pick up a tab of $9.1 billion to keep their properties clean.  So the next time you wonder why products cost so much, remember these businesses have to incorporate those clean up costs in their sales. Those of us who still pay taxes in the United States pay over $1.3 billion through our states, cities and counties to clean up litter. Educational institutions spend approximately $241 million annually for litter abatement.  Now can’t we all agree that all of these dollars could be used more wisely if we could just get people to manage their trash appropriately?  Our economy could use a break, so please stop littering and let’s reduce these costs!

The ironic part is that litter and littering is decreasing in many areas around the United States, including our county.  That is great, but there is so much more that can be done if we can get people to take responsibility for their own actions.  That is a lot of cash that can be uses for other needed services if people would consider the consequences of their choices.  The sad part is that there are many other costs because of the consequences of the actions of these lazy litterers. The costs of litter extend far beyond the actual costs for cleaning up the mess.  Consider these compelling consequences:

Thirty-six percent of business development officials say that litter impacts a company’s decision to locate in a community.  That has been a factor before here in our county.  That hurts our whole community when we lose potential jobs in our area.

Ninety-three percent of homeowners say a littered neighborhood would decrease their assessment of a home’s value and influence their decision to purchase a property.  Fifty-five percent of realtors think that litter reduces a property value by nine percent. Sixty-six percent of property appraisers would reduce a home’s value if it was a littered area.

Litter has an impact on potential tourism revenues.  If you think that only resort areas would be affected by that, think again.  Tourism is the second largest industry in Georgia.  Liberty County has the historical, cultural and natural resources to attract tourism dollars, if developed and marketed appropriately.  Our community could benefit from this major industry if we present those resources attractively---including having a clean and visually appealing community with clean streets and roads, clean sidewalks and gutters, clean and attractive businesses, and attractive venues.

The environmental consequences of litter can have economic impacts as well with restorations of damaged ecosystems and polluted waterways, injuries to wildlife, and even possible injuries to human health.

We cannot afford to take litter for granted.  Our actions or inactions to fight litter affect all of us and will have an impact on generations that follow us.
 The research results noted are from the 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost study executed by Midatlantic Solid Waste Consultants for Keep America Beautiful. Further study results can be found at www.kab.org/research09 .