Some facts about litter

Politics & Government

Some facts about litter

Frank Greve - McClatchy Newspapers

January 24, 2008 06:00 AM

WASHINGTON — People who work in litter make some interesting discoveries. Among them:

Cigarette butts are the most common form of litter in the United States and the rest of the world.

Bottle-deposit policies have an interesting effect on beach litter. "You find zillions of bottle caps but only a few bottles," said Amanda Wheeler of Bradley Beach, N.J., who's directed beach cleanups there for a decade.

A growing factor in litter is debris that falls from recycling trucks, according to litter analyst Steven Stein.

When authorities in the Augusta, Ga., area checked whether people they'd stopped for littering were wanted for other offenses, they hit pay dirt. "Most people who commit crimes also litter," concluded Lt. Mallory Jones of the Augusta Richmond County Marshal's Office.

New York City litter that floats washes up on the New Jersey shore. New York litter that flies — such as Mylar balloons — ends up on Long Island beaches because of prevailing northwesterly winds.

One big reason that trash piles up on New York streets: The city has few alleys.

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