What's up with all the litter everywhere?

[RestedTraveler]

I drove over to Lake Wylie to visit my brother today. On the way over, we decided to take a little detour from our usual route and drive around Charlotte. It had been many years since we had been there and I wanted to see what has changed for myself.

The thing that stood out the most to me was the trash scattered all along the sides of the roads everywhere we looked: fast food bags/boxes/cups; milk jugs; soda bottles and cans; newspapers and other circulars; etc.. It wasn't just in and around downtown. It wasn't just along I-77 and I-277. It was't just all along HWY 49 between Ayrsley and Lake Wylie. It was almost everywhere our eyes gazed.

What's up with that? Where's the community pride? Where's the sense of responsibility? Heck...where are the chain gangs? My apologies for coming across so critical, but I was absolutely floored.

Call me an outsider. Call me cynical. Call me anything you want. Maybe I'm just spoiled living over here in the Greenville, SC Metro and am not used to seeing such abhorrent apathy and blatant disregard for ones natural surroundings and community.

As much as I love Greenville, SC, I'm mulling over the idea of moving to the Charlotte Metro to be closer to family. I must say today's visit didn't sit well with me from the "It's a place where the people that live there take a lot of pride in their community" standpoint.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

Yes it is pretty bad in a lot of areas, it seems to be worst where construction is occuring.

[dubone]

although charlotte is no where near as bad as other places on litter, i must say that part of the problem is that the state isn't paying its fair share for clearing the roads. I know it was part of the city budget debate recently, how for years, charlotte had had to pay for cleaning litter and landscaping in parts of 277 and other freeways even though it was a state responsibility. I think charlotte cut out that line item and a few other items that were state responsibilities because of their own budget crisis.

The state may take a while until they return to paying for it, though, so it may end up just being a citizen responsibility. The problem is, i think the more litter there is, the more people litter instead of the opposite....

[RestedTraveler]

The problem is, i think the more litter there is, the more people litter instead of the opposite....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you're dead on the money there....it's contageious.... that whole "Everybody else is doing it, so why can't I do it?" mentality.

It's sad though....something needs to be done about it. Charlotte is such a beautiful city otherwise.

[Raintree21]

Start by stopping all of the SMOKERS from throwing their BUTTS out of their car windows. That is still littering no matter how small it is.

[ilektronik]

Start by stopping all of the SMOKERS from throwing their BUTTS out of their car windows.  That is still littering no matter how small it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here we go blaming all of society's problems on smokers again. Scapegoats are fun.

[RestedTraveler]

Start by stopping all of the SMOKERS from throwing their BUTTS out of their car windows.

[Raintree21]

Here we go blaming all of society's problems on smokers again. Scapegoats are fun.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No one is blaming all of society's problems on anyone. You have to start somewhere and starting with the little things is what will make things happen. And actually, cigarette butts aren't little things in all actuality. Take a look at the curbs at major intersections and count how many hundreds or thousands of cigarette butts have been discarded.

[ilektronik]

No one is blaming all of society's problems on anyone.  You have to start somewhere and starting with the little things is what will make things happen.  And actually, cigarette butts aren't little things in all actuality.  Take a look at the curbs at major intersections and count how many hundreds or thousands of cigarette butts have been discarded.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Cigarette butts are indeed a problem, however they are far less of a problem than people dumping bags of trash along the road. I'd say let's start with random trash, and empty beer bottles strung along the side of the road before we revert to blaming smokers for all of the world's problems. I am not a smoker myself; I simply find it annoying that you would choose to start with smokers as opposed to people dumping trash on the side of the road.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

again, a great deal of the trash comes from the backs of contruction worker's trucks. They don't seem to know how to fasten stuff down.

[Neo]

Cigarette butts are indeed a problem, however they are far less of a problem than people dumping bags of trash along the road. I'd say let's start with random trash, and empty beer bottles strung along the side of the road before we revert to blaming smokers for all of the world's problems. I am not a smoker myself; I simply find it annoying that you would choose to start with smokers as opposed to people dumping trash on the side of the road.

You mentioned starting with empty beer bottles on the side of the road. I guess that would be blaming the world's problems on those who drink? Same principal as far as I can tell. Regardless of who throws trash out the window, it is all litter. I don't care of Joe Blow or Jane Blain throws it out the window or if they're drinkers or smokers, it's all litter and should be delt with.

[dubone]

an overwhelming percentage of litter is primarily related to eating, drinking, and smoking.

I think cigarattes are a large part of the overall littering problem, as i'd bet that most smokers don't think twice about throwing their cigarette butts out the window, where most fastfood eaters wouldn't think to throw the burger wrapper out. However, cigarettes are much smaller and much less a part of the visual blight that is typically what you'd consider litter.

based on that drink containers and food wrappers are the biggest problem, in my opinion.

Maybe litter cleanup should get its own dedicated tax, where gas station convenience stores and fast food restaurants contribute a certain amount to the litter trust fund....

[MZT]

Also ugly are the "Lose Weight Now" / "Affordable Health Insurance" / "Get Out of Debt" scams posted on all the telephone poles. Charlotte does pay a few contractors to remove them from target streets, but it's everywhere.

[cinco]

i used to smoke and for a few years i threw my butts out the window. i didn't want my car to smell like an ashtray. (i was young) and one day in my smoking tenure i realized that i was a self centered jag-azz and quit burdening society with my addiction. yes, cigarette butts are litter.

* the worst is when you see a pile of cigarettes - that someone has emptied their car ashtray onto the ground. there should be a spay and neuter program for all litterbugs.

[poplife88]

i used to smoke and for a few years i threw my butts out the window. i didn't want my car to smell like an ashtray.  (i was young) and one day in my smoking tenure i realized that i was a self centered jag-azz and quit burdening society with my addiction.  yes, cigarette butts are litter.

* the worst is when you see a pile of cigarettes - that someone has emptied their car ashtray onto the ground.  there should be a spay and neuter program for all litterbugs.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What I do is just eat them after i'm done, they're actually high in fiber and good for you. (only trained professional stuntmen are allowed to do this, don't actually try this at home)

[monsoon]

What I do is just eat them after i'm done......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Time to call Jenny Craig. If they can fix Kristey Alley, they can help you too.

[Skyybutter]

Any amount of trash is bad, but let me just say, over-all Charlotte is sooo clean. Having lived in a larger metropolitan city over the last 5 years Ive seen some pretty sad trash conditions. However, better to get a handle on any trash problems Charlotte has before it gets out of hand.

[ezcheese]

i smoked when i was younger too. and i also threw my butts out the car window.

i hate seeing litter and i found a website where you can report litterbugs to NCDOT and they actually send a letter to the litterbug telling them that someone saw them litter at the exact time and place that they littered.

i reported a few people before i moved and got a kick out of sending the info, imagining the litterbug getting this letter in the mail that they were seen littering.

check it out:

http://www.doh.dot.state.nc.us/operations/...tion/Litterbug/

[RestedTraveler]

i hate seeing litter and i found a website where you can report litterbugs to NCDOT and they actually send a letter to the litterbug telling them that someone saw them litter at the exact time and place that they littered.

i reported a few people before i moved and got a kick out of sending the info, imagining the litterbug getting this letter in the mail that they were seen littering.

check it out:

http://www.doh.dot.state.nc.us/operations/...tion/Litterbug/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For all those down around Fort Mill, Rock Hill, and Lake Wylie (and in South Carolina), there's a similar site for you:

http://www.palmettopride.org/

[f0xym0p]

Okay, this is excellent. I am so glad you posted this because I am definitely going to take advantage of it and report people who throw trash out their windows.

[ezcheese]

go for it! i reported every person i saw throwing something out their window.