Litter Prevention

Litter is the result of too little attention to how waste is handled — the careless and casual handling of waste creates litter. Knowing more about the causes of litter and where it comes from is a good place to start in addressing litter prevention. One person, one business, one organization can positively affect the behavior of others in their community. No matter where litter starts, it moves. From streets and highways to parks and waterways. Wind and weather moves litter around a community, into the gutters, planted gardens, alleyways and parking areas. In one study, researchers found that 18% of all littered items end up in our streams and waterways as pollution. Roadside Litter Decomposition Chart

Why People Litter

Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has determined that people litter for a variety of reasons. They feel no sense of ownership, even though areas such as parks and beaches are public property. They believe someone else-a park maintenance or highway worker- will pick up after them.  People also litter in places where litter has already accumulated. One of KAB goals is to end littering. 

Who Is Littering?

There is no such thing as a single “littering type”. People of all ages and social backgrounds have been observed littering, … men and women, children, mature adults and all ages in between are equally likely to litter. Today’s litterer may be you.Where do people litter? Research has identified locations where litter accumulates. The locations fall into these categories: special event venues, roadways and highways, high traffic and everyday locations and transition points.

What Can YOU Do?

• Contact your local government for the litter prevention program where you live. See the litter program manager contact information below for all of the our member localities.
• Join your local litter prevention group.
• Adopt a Highway or participate in one or more of the local and regional litter clean-up events held each year and learn more about the litter prevention by visiting the Keep Virginia Beautiful (KVB) website or VDOT’s Adopt a Highway website
• Do not throw or pour anything down a storm drain.

Virginia Department of Environmental Quality- Litter Prevention Program

The Litter Prevention Program coordinates the distribution of annual grants to localities for recycling and litter activities, provides information and guidance on litter prevention and recycling topics, and works with localities, litter prevention program managers, and environmental groups on improving awareness of how litter damages the environment. Program staff track and report on how localities use their grants to support their litter prevention and recycling programs.

DEQ staff works with the Litter Control and Recycling Fund Advisory Board on the grant process. For questions about litter prevention topics, contact Prina Chudasama at (804) 698-4159

Litter Prevention Program Managers/Local Contacts and Local Litter Cleanup Programs

• Get involved! Join one of the groups below to help conserve natural resources and keep your community clean.
• Support Don’t Trash Central VA Litter Campaign
• Or, contact these groups to request litter education information, litter cleanup opportunities, litter cleanup supplies,  and litter resources specific to where you live. The VA DEQ has a full list of litter program managers, click here for contact in your area.

Locality-specific litter prevention and litter education questions can be directed to area Recycling and Litter Prevention Program Managers.

Or, contact Keep Virginia Beautiful.

Looking for litter education lesson plans? Litterati and Chris Woods- Daily Stem offer K-12 lesson plans. Click here for more information on the lessons.