Stop Littering – 10 Tips to Tackle Trash in Public Spaces

How can littering be stopped? If you want to do something about carelessly throwing garbage into the environment, you've come to the right place!

You are no doubt familiar with the bad habits of some people who simply leave their waste, such as cigarette butts, to-go packaging or drinks bottles, in public places or throw them away. Sometimes out of thoughtlessness and ignorance - but often deliberately and under the cover of anonymity.

The consequences cannot be overlooked and are far more than just aesthetic in nature. Smell, vermin, reduced habitat quality, animal suffering and, last but not least, expensive disposal services at taxpayers' expense.

In this article, I would like to give you some valuable tips on how to make the Littering in our society. Use them to live more waste-free yourself - and of course pass them on to other people. Let's go!

10 tips against littering that everyone can implement

Why you should stop littering? The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety pays German cities and municipalities yearly around 700 million eurosto free public places from discarded waste!

Whether on Beaches, in Parks and School environments, an stations, Stops and Freeway service stations or on sidewalks and Parking lots - garbage is everywhere and reduces our quality of life.

We know that Plastic waste in the environment to the biggest environmental problems of our time counts. Nevertheless, some people run with the selfish belief around that others will clean up after them.

But we are not here in our own children's room, where mom will fix it already. We are in the public space where all people and animals suffer the consequences of littering.

Here are some tips you can use to make sure that you yourself, and many other people as well, are live more sustainably and deal with waste more consciously.

1. heed the Zero Waste basic rules

Probably the most important tip is to use the To prevent waste from being produced in the first place. The Zero Waste Lifestyle is designed precisely for this purpose with its basic rules.

Use Reusable instead of disposable (e.g. this stainless steel box* instead of ToGo packs) - and repair Things and lend them out instead of buying them new. So you can Save money sustainably and avoid littering in a targeted manner.

Related articles:

• Zero Waste for beginners
• Plastic free living - tips & tricks
• Simple zero waste tips for everyone!

2. merze out the typical causes

A sensible approach in the fight against littering is to eliminate the typical culprits. Here I have compiled a list of the most common everyday objects left behind in nature and their waste free alternatives compiled.

• Cigarette butt = Use a Pocket ashtray (e.g. this one*)
• ToGo packaging = Use your own containers (e.g. this lunch box*)
• Beverage containers = Drink tap water from own Drinking bottle (e.g. this herer*)
• Dog waste bags = Use Biodegradable bags* and dispose of them in the residual waste
• Individual parts like straws = Do without or use such stainless steel straws*
• Napkins = Rely on washable, reusable Cloth napkins*
• Magazines & Flyers = Read magazines digitally or take them back with you
• Chewing gums = Place used chewing gum in a paper towel and dispose of it in the residual waste

3. report "dirt corners

You know the one or other dirty Place where people prefer to leave their garbage? Then report these dirty corners to your local authority so that someone will take care of this eyesore and clean it up.

Often there are even special hotlines and contact forums - but a lot can also be achieved by e-mail!

4. make other people aware of the garbage problem

The garbage problem is not only one of convenience but also of Education problem! So you can also stop littering by informing people in a friendly but firm way about the consequences of their actions.

Read books and build up a wealth of knowledge. Also like to browse my Book plastic free for beginnersthat you get here*. And then support or organize educational campaigns, promote the Environmental protection in schools or simply talk about the waste problem and how you can become part of the solution yourself.

In short: Live it up! Because this is how change happens in our society.

5. promote political measures

In your community or in a political party, also advocate for specific political measures against littering. For example, ensure that more trash cans are placed to reduce littering. Improve disposal options. Emptying times should also be increased if necessary.

But the best thing to do, of course, is to help ensure that all People in the region produce significantly less waste and the Internalize consequences of waste in the environment. Incentives for this can include product changes, fines and warning fees, deposit systems, or educational campaigns in schools.

6. organize and support clean-up actions

You can no longer see the garbage in nature and want to stop littering? Then lend a hand yourself and organize your own CleanUp! Often there are other people who are already active. Simply join to make the group even stronger.

In many municipalities there are also Fixed "dirt-away days"where everyone cleans up together and makes the area more attractive again. But of course you can also collect garbage on vacation and show yourself as an environmentally conscious tourist!

Always remember the psychological effect: If a place looks particularly tidy and clean, people are more reluctant to leave garbage there. Graffiti and vandalism also often go hand in hand with littering.

Tip: You can also combat littering on a small scale! For example, collect Walking with your dog a few objects thrown on the side of the road.

7. address environmental offenders directly but in a friendly manner

You are watching someone leaving a full dog waste bag lying around or throwing a cigarette on the floor? Then simply address the person directly without being too quick-tempered and critical.

Awaken in him/her the desire to benefit from a cleaner environment. Less risk of stepping in dog excrement, fewer vermin and a higher quality of living space, for example, are effective arguments.

A simple question can get you thinking: "What would it look like here if everyone left their garbage like this?" - and even if you don't receive an answer straight away, you have at least planted a seed that can lead to a rethink later on.

Tip: Feel free to also read my Tips to convince people. They will help you not only in the fight against littering, but in all sorts of life situations. Promise!

8. cook ahead instead of ordering ToGo food

Often the garbage on the road arises from ToGo packaging. For example at the Kebab at lunch break or at the pre-cut apple from the plastic box in the supermarket.

You - and others - can reduce this packaging waste by pre-cooking the next meal. Lunch snacks avoid it. I always cook a little more of my meals so that I still have some of it the next day. Off to the Stainless steel lunch box - Done!

9. create creative incentives

It doesn't always have to be large-scale educational campaigns to bring people closer to the problem of waste. Often all it takes is a funny sign or a small challengeso that they do not carelessly dispose of their waste in the environment.

In the picture you can see two quite effective examples. On the left, every cigarette butt thrown in supports the Vote for the best soccer player in the world.

And on the right-hand side, the Pride of the beach visitors to bring about change. Just let your creativity run free so that unique places remain litter-free in the future.

10. internalize the advantages

Change comes about when you A real need sees for it. That is why it is important to internalize the benefits of a conscious approach to waste:

• Clean landscapes, in which one likes to spend time. (Recreational effect)
• Healthier soils and food, without toxic residues of the waste.
• Less animal suffering, as the animals often eat garbage or strangle themselves on it.
• Less risk of injury for children, playing with sharp-edged garbage.
• …

... to name just a few examples. Our waste from plastics is simply not biodegradable and remains in nature for a long time if we do nothing about it. To stop littering, awareness of the benefits of each individual is essential.

Stop littering: A clean cause!

Together we can stop the littering of our environment, educate people and convince them. In the end, our behavior is solely responsible for littering - and that is why the Changing our behavior is also the only solution for the problem. A rethink by all of us is unavoidable.

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them."

Albert Einstein (more under Environmental protection quotes)

I hope that with this post I could give you decisive tips and measures against littering. Do you have any questions, suggestions or experiences of your own in the fight against careless littering in public places that you would like to share? As always, feel free to drop me a comment!

Stay clean,

PS: Thank you for your great and waste-avoiding attitude. By the way, unsolicited advertising mail also generates a lot of waste. In the linked post, I'll now show you how to Unsubscribe from advertising by mail can. Have fun!