Roadside Litter in State Up 24% in 11-Year Span

Litter along roadways in California, the nation’s most populous state, has increased 24% in the last decade and the problem is likely to worsen, a new state study says.

Conducted for the California Waste Management Board by the Institute for Applied Research, the study said California is spending much less than many states on programs to reduce roadside litter.

“Unless action is taken, California is going to get filthier each year as our population and traffic increase,” the study said.

The Sacramento research firm last June checked litter at 114 sites throughout the state, including 78 that were examined in a 1974 state study. It found that scattered trash at the 78 sites was up 24% from 1974.

Increase in Traffic

The report attributed much of the litter rise to increases in motorists and pedestrians over the last decade.

However, it said, deliberate littering with beer and soft drink containers dropped 25% from 1974, mainly because of can-recycling programs. Littering with cigarette packs and candy wrappers also decreased, possibly due in part to declining sales of such products.

But accidental littering from trash falling off trucks, overturned trash cans and careless handling of materials soared 75%.

The study said California “has a fairly high rate of litter, which is characteristic of states that are not implementing adequately funded statewide litter-control programs.”

California spends less than four-tenths of a penny per person each year on programs to reduce carelessly discarded trash, it said. Other states are spending as much as 25 to 50 cents per person and are achieving “significant reductions” in litter, it said.

The report said about 2.9% of California motor vehicles have litter bags, compared to 15% to 18% in other states with litter-control programs.

Trash Cans Required

States operating successful anti-litter programs usually have laws requiring trash cans on every service station pump island and at the entrance to every food store, it said.

In California, it said, those standards are met by 57% of service stations and 46% of markets. In comparison, it said the compliance rate for Washington state was 81% for service stations, 52% for neighborhood groceries, and 87% for large chain markets.

Chairman Sherman Roodzant of the Waste Management Board said the study raises questions about whether container-deposit legislation would have much impact in California.

“Beverage containers account for only 4.36% of California’s litter problem,” he said. “Action is needed that will help reduce litter from all sources, not just beverage containers.”