In December 2009, Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) released its National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study.
Good News
- Visible litter on our roadways has decreased approximately 61 percent in the past 40 years.
Bad News
- We still have a litter problem and it costing us taxpayers more and more to clean up.
I Just Gotta Tell Ya
- 51 BILLION pieces of litter are released on American roadways each year – 6,729 items per mile of roadway annually, 91 percent of it less than 4 inches in size.
- 38%- tobacco products= packaging as well as cigarette ends.
- 22%- Paper and plastic
- 46% is packaging litter, fast food, snacks, tobaccos and other product packaging
- 76% of of litter is from motorists and pedestrians.
- 16% s from improperly covered trucks and cargo loads
Cost of Litter
- $11.5 Billion Litter Clean Up costs to Taxpayers
- $9.1 Billion Litter Clean Up Costs to Business
- 7% Decrease in Property Values where litter has a presence
- 40% of Homeowners surveyed believe litter reduces home values by 10-24%
- 55% of Realtors think that litter reduces property values by about 9%