Environmental Costs

Litter is a human impact on the environment and is a serious environmental issue in Woodridge, New York. Litter can exist in the environment for long periods of time before degrading and be transported large distances into the world's oceans.  Some of the environmental effects include, but are not limited to:

• reduces the aesthetic appeal of public places including streets, parks and waterways and hiking trails.
• can kill aquatic life directly (eg. through choking) and indirectly through its impacts on water quality.
• can cause blockages of the drainage system and flooding (costing local governments millions of dollars to repair).
• can be dangerous to people particularly when it involves items such as broken glass, needles and syringes.
• may be a fire hazard (lit cigarettes being thrown from vehicles).
• costs the community huge sums of money to clean up every year.
• can decrease oxygen levels when it decays in water.
  
  Most Often Discarded/Littered Items
  Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world, with 4.5 trillion discarded annually. The cellulose acetate butts are not biodegradable and, as a result, their chemical decomposition can take many decades. Cigarette butts and filters are a threat to wildlife and have been found in the stomachs of fish, birds and whales, who have mistaken them for food. Cigarettes can also start fires if they are discarded into the environment lit.
  Some Facts on Litter
  
  
  • 75% of Americans admitted to littering in the last five years.
  • Negligent or lenient law enforcement contributes to littering behavior.
  • Young people from 12 to 24 years cause more litter than the average.
  • Eighteen percent of people who regularly cause litter were 50 years of age or older.
  • Almost half of litter on U.S. roadways is now a result of accidental or unintentional litter.