Litter refers to any waste improperly discarded in public spaces or natural environments, rather than in designated bins or disposal sites. This pervasive issue affects landscapes globally, from urban settings to remote wilderness areas. The presence of litter poses substantial threats to the environment.
Impact on Wildlife and Ecosystems
Litter causes direct and immediate harm to living organisms and their habitats. Animals frequently mistake discarded items, particularly plastics, for food, leading to ingestion that can result in choking, internal blockages, starvation, or poisoning. For instance, seabirds often ingest plastic, with some studies finding plastic in the stomachs of 100% of animals washed ashore in certain regions.
Entanglement in litter, such as plastic bags, rings from beverage containers, and especially abandoned fishing gear, also poses a severe threat. Animals caught in these items can suffer deep wounds, strangulation, or become immobilized, making them vulnerable to predators or unable to forage, often leading to death. Lost fishing nets, known as “ghost gear,” continue to trap and kill marine life indiscriminately, impacting hundreds of species including marine mammals, sea turtles, and seabirds.
Beyond direct harm to individual animals, litter physically degrades natural habitats. Accumulated waste can smother plants, block sunlight, and alter the natural balance of ecosystems. This degradation can make areas uninhabitable or dangerous for various species, disrupting their breeding grounds and overall ecosystem functioning.
Contamination of Natural Resources
Litter significantly pollutes essential natural resources, including soil, water, and air. As discarded items degrade, they release harmful chemicals and microparticles into the surrounding environment. For example, cigarette butts contain toxins like arsenic and formaldehyde, which can seep into soil and freshwater sources.
Chemicals from items like batteries, electronics, and plastics can leach into the soil, affecting its fertility and contaminating groundwater, which is a source of drinking water for many. In aquatic environments, litter introduces toxins, alters water chemistry, and degrades water quality, posing risks to aquatic life and human water sources. This contamination can lead to algal blooms, which reduce oxygen for other aquatic species.
The decomposition of organic litter can release harmful gases into the atmosphere. The burning of waste also releases toxic emissions, causing respiratory issues and contributing to acid rain. This contributes to air pollution, further impacting environmental and human health.
Long-Term Environmental Degradation
Beyond immediate contamination, litter contributes to insidious and persistent environmental problems over extended periods. The fragmentation of larger plastic items, through exposure to sunlight, wind, and waves, leads to the formation of microplastics (particles smaller than 5 millimeters) and even smaller nanoplastics. These tiny particles are now pervasive in all ecosystems, including marine, freshwater, and terrestrial environments, and can persist for hundreds of years.
Microplastics and nanoplastics enter the food chain, with organisms at lower trophic levels ingesting them. This can lead to bioaccumulation and biomagnification, transferring plastics and associated toxins up the food web to larger animals, including those consumed by humans. The long-term effects of these particles on ecosystem health and human health are still under investigation, but they are known to disrupt physiological processes and can act as carriers for other pollutants.
Litter also contributes to land degradation and ecosystem imbalance. The physical presence of waste can make landscapes barren or less productive.
Socio-Economic and Public Health Implications
Litter has significant impacts on human society, health, and economic well-being. Public health risks include litter attracting pests such as rodents and insects, which can carry diseases. Accumulated waste can also provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
Litter can cause physical injuries, such as cuts from broken glass or sharp objects, or harm from discarded needles. Chemicals leaching from litter can contaminate water sources, posing a direct risk to human health when ingested.
The economic burden of litter is substantial. Cleanup costs for municipalities, states, and businesses are immense, with the United States spending an estimated $11.5 billion annually on litter remediation. Businesses alone bear approximately $9.1 billion of these costs. Beyond direct cleanup, litter reduces tourism revenue and decreases property values. Studies indicate that litter can decrease a property’s value by a significant percentage, with some realtors suggesting a reduction of around nine percent. The aesthetic degradation of public spaces also negatively impacts quality of life and community pride.