Don't trash PA - cigs, wrappers and bottle caps pollute, cost millions to clean up
In every corner of our commonwealth, finding beauty is easy. Unfortunately, so is finding litter.
On roadsides and sidewalks, playgrounds and fields, riverbanks and forests, millions of pieces of litter blemish Pennsylvania. The result is more than visual ugliness — this litter leaches into our soil and waterways, harms wildlife. It harms our efforts to make this commonwealth more attractive for people, families, tourists, and businesses. It also costs taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up each year.
Of course, Pennsylvanians already agree that littering is wrong — at least in theory. Fewer than 3% of Pennsylvanians think littering is OK, yet an alarming 40% to 50% of Pennsylvanians litter.
How could this be?
Research shows that most litter does not come from "litterbugs," but rather from everyday individuals who disagree with littering but don't think they're littering when they toss their cigarette butt on the ground or let a little piece of receipt paper fly away in the wind. They don't see placing their garbage next to an overflowing trash can, leaving behind their food containers at an event, or not bothering to pick up a dropped bottle cap or candy wrapper as littering. But it is.
So, we're launching a campaign to remind all Pennsylvanians that Every Litter Bit Matters.
"PA Fights Dirty: Every Litter Bit Matters" was developed as part of the Wolf Administration's Litter Action Plan and in response to the 2019 Pennsylvania Litter Research Study, which found Pennsylvania has more than 500 million pieces of litter on its roadways.
More:Getting back to basics – small stuff matters in Erie’s contest for residents
"Every Litter Bit Matters" calls upon Pennsylvanians to ensure every piece of their trash, regardless of size, is disposed of properly.
More than 85% of litter is 4 inches or less in size. That's in part because it's easy to brush off a small piece of litter, like a gum wrapper, as insignificant. After all, what effect could a measly gum wrapper have?
But these little pieces add up to Pennsylvania having 1,000 pieces of litter per roadway mile.
More:Toxic pollution in the Great Lakes remains a colossal problem
"Every Litter Bit Matters" will educate Pennsylvanians on situational littering, such as leaving trash on the ground next to a full can or in a stadium, as well as remind Pennsylvanians that litter of all sizes stacks up and creates big problems.
In addition to improving aesthetics and pride in our commonwealth, a goal of "Every Litter Bit Matters" is to reduce the cost of litter removal in Pennsylvania, which is currently about $350 million annually.
We can make big strides in reducing the litter in our communities and on our roadways through small actions aimed at our littlest pieces of trash. Storing that wrapper in your pocket until you reach a trash can, carrying your garbage to the next bin when the closest one is full, and making sure your cigarette butt is disposed of in a proper receptacle are all small actions we can each take to make a huge difference in the amount of litter in Pennsylvania.
Every Litter Bit Matters when it comes to reducing the amount of litter in Pennsylvania. It matters to all of us — whether we're a pedestrian, biker, or driver wanting less litter on our routes; a concerned citizen who wants to live in a cleaner environment; a community that wants to be a desirable place to live, work and visit; or an economic development organization seeking to attract a business to Pennsylvania. And it matters to us financially — by preventing litter, we can redirect the $350 million we spend cleaning up to infrastructure improvement projects or other areas of need.
We all have a role to play to reduce litter. Every single one of us can make a difference by taking small steps in our daily lives. Please, dispose of every piece of your waste properly to help keep our commonwealth clean and beautiful.
Tom Wolf is the governor of Pennsylvania.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Gov. Wolf says litter pollutes PA, costs taxpayers millions to remove
