Litter in Arizona – 2008 Report

To Read the Full Report go to  Don’t Trash Arizona 

• In 2008, residents were less likely to report having a litterbag or trashcan in their vehicle than in 2006 (indicated by 58%, down from 62%).
• As Arizona residents reported in 2006, the most common type of trash that  accumulates in their vehicles is small pieces of paper such as gum wrappers, receipts and lottery tickets (mentioned by 29%)
• Similar to 2006 results, one in six Arizona residents indicated they are smokers (16%). Of those who currently smoke, most understood that  throwing cigarette butts out the window is a type of littering, with only 6%  expressing the belief that such action is not a type of littering. The same  percentage (6%) reported that they actually throw their cigarette butts out the  window.
• One in six Arizona residents indicated they drive a pickup truck (16%). This percentage is highest in the outlying areas of the state (22%). Pickup truck owners are significantly more like than others to indicate they noticed trash falling out of their vehicle in the past three months (36% vs. 19% to 22% of drivers of other vehicles). Truck drivers indicated that soda cans and soda bottles were the most common types of litter found in the back of their truck (mentioned by 14%).
• In 2008, littering along Arizona freeways was seen as less of a problem than in 2006. Approximately three in ten residents indicated litter along the freeways throughout the state of Arizona was a “big” problem (31%, down from 38%) or “moderate” problem (43%, up slightly from 42%)
• When Arizona residents were asked what types of materials they would consider a “serious” litter problem, plastic bags and other plastic items topped the list (mentioned by 32%, increasing from 27% in 2006). However, when looking at it from a broader scope, more than three in five residents (64%) identified beverage cans and bottles as serious litter problems (soda cans/bottles-28%, beer cans/bottles-23%, and water bottles-13%). 
• When asked to itemize what items they thought they had littered in the past year, a majority of Arizona residents insisted that they had not littered at all during the past year (67%) – this was similar to the findings from the 2006 study when 69% claimed they had not littered.