Litter
Why do people litter?
People litter because they feel no sense of ownership.
You drive on a "state" road or play in a "City" park so you don't think of these things as belonging to you. But they belong to all of us! We must all feel a sense of responsibility for and pride in the community as a whole. When you understand that it belongs to you, that it belongs to all of us, you are less likely to litter or allow people around you to litter either!
People litter because they believe that someone else will pick up after them.
You know that there are people hired by the state or the city to pick up the junk we leave on the streets and in the parks and beside the streams. Did you know that the City of Durham alone spends over 15 million dollars a year picking up after us in the community? Do you really want that much of your money to be spent on litter bugs? This is money that we all pay in taxes that could be better spent fixing potholes, improving park facilities or upgrading and improving water pipe infrastructure.
People litter because litter has already accumulated.
There are Keep Durham Beautiful volunteers in Durham that can tell you all about this! When the Unity Spiritual Life Center first adopted a busy stretch of Guess Road near where their new Center will be built, they were disapointed and disheartened by the hours of work it took to pick up all the stuff they found beside the roadway. But they kept at it, and now more than a year later, they spend less than half the time they used to and the amount of litter they find decreases all the time. People are less likely to throw litter if an area is clean.
Research and experience prove that litter — intentional or unintentional pollution resulting from consumer waste products being carelessly handled or improperly disposed — attracts more litter. A clean community, by contrast, discourages littering and raises local living standards and quality of life.
Keep Durham Beautiful believes in YOU!
We believe litter is often a starting point for other community blight. We believe that everyone shares a personal responsibility to help prevent litter in their community. We KNOW that one person, one business, one organization can positively affect the behavior of others in their community. Learn more about some of our programs involved with litter prevention and get involved. We know you can Keep Durham Beautiful!
