people throwing rubbish from their cars

[sneha1965]

Originally Posted by Scott1

The quickest way to be rejected here is to thumb your nose at vocal values. And that goes for a lot more than littering.

I think curbing your dog could be thrown in there too.

[Scott1]

Originally Posted by sneha1965

I think curbing your dog could be thrown in there too.

It is, really no problem with that anyway, even the homeless clean up after their dogs. There are trash containers on most corners and it is not unusual to see someone pick up a random piece of trash they see and deposit it at the corner. It's that community pride thing again. :-)

I should probably have added that local law enforcement here, as budget strapped as they are, have no problems writing out as many citations as they can. Locals sometimes complain about their strict tactics, but it's mainly out of staters who do things they shouldn't subconsciously that get stung and the fines aren't small. If you think about your actions you'll have no problems.

[Webtroll]

I hate all the trash on the roadside, in parking lots, wherever. I wish I knew how to fix it. Hell I don't even like seeing cigarettes thrown out the window. It amazes me when I see that happen in Texas during droughts.

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by aborgman

A big part of that here in Michigan was the institution of deposits on recyclable bottles. It increased the recycling rate massively.

Michigan now has a return rate of about 96%, up from about 30% before the law.

I'm guessing this is a similar system to what we have in one of the states here in Australia. You take all your bottles back to a depot, and they count them out and give you 10 cents (used to be 5) for every bottle you take back. It might not seem like a huge amount, but when you save every bottle, can and carton your drink from you generally get yourself a few hundred dollars a year. Throwing a good party will often net you 20-50 bucks!

Almost nobody throws bottles out their window, that's ten cents your throwing away!

Because a majority of the little that comes out of peoples car windows is bottles and cans, the litter on the side of the road is cut down enormously. Because there is very little rubbish on the side of the road, most people with any scrap of conscience will also refrain from throwing anything else out there, rather than thinking "Oh, who cares, it's not like this one bit will make any difference, everyone else does it." So the total amount of litter around the place is reduced enormously.

Then, because there is a refund on any bottles and cans, many organisations will go and collect the cans as a fund raising exercise, and since they are out there they'll pick up any normal rubbish at the same time, so any litter that does get thrown out is collected by scouts, youth groups, etc.

A lot of people who are homeless or unable to work (mentally ill, unemployable) will also collect cans and bottles in their spare time for a bit of extra cash, I knew an old guy who used to collect a good hundred dollars a week on average in bottle refunds on his pushy.


It makes such a huge difference, I really have no idea why the rest of the country hasn't adopted the same system. You can drive 30 minutes over the border into Victoria, even in the countryside, and you'll notice a difference in the amount of rubbish on the side of the road, is phenomenal.

[Simo98]

Originally Posted by Scott1

The type that litter are those that do not connect with the land in any way. What I mean by that is a large percentage of the population here are direct descendants of the original Poineer families that settled the very pretty, very rough region in the mid 1800s. They keep things clean because in a small town there is a sense of community ownership that has roots. It's a "Your great, great grandad had a something shop over where so and so's is now", kind of thing. People are connected with so much of the community going back for so long, that littering would feel like throwing trash in the middle of your living room. You just wouldn't think of doing it.

Socio-economically the region is very depressed. It's mostly wilderness with the loss of a lot of jobs that used to depend on the logging industry.

The quickest way to be rejected here is to thumb your nose at local values. And that goes for a lot more than littering.

That's definitely true where I came from also, we were a small town with a long history (for Australia) with many people having grown up in the area or lived there a couple of generations, generally with some sort of farming/agricultural background. People value the land and their hometown, throwing rubbish around the place wasn't really common place.

Most of the litter was during the tourist season unfortunately. It's pretty sad that people will come stay somewhere and say "Oh, isn't this beautiful, such a lovely place" and then go leave their rubbish on a park bench :/

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by Webtroll

........Hell I don't even like seeing cigarettes thrown out the window. It amazes me when I see that happen in Texas during droughts.

So........ it's OK with you during the rainy season?

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

So........ it's OK with you during the rainy season?

I'm assuming it concerns him more during the droughts because a burning cig butt is more likely to cause fires under those conditions. A valid concern.

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by C.Linton

I'm assuming it concerns him more during the droughts because a burning cig butt is more likely to cause fires under those conditions. A valid concern.

Really?????? ya think????

[Webtroll]

Norton, chill out. I don't like when people toss lit cigarettes at any time, much less when there's a drought. If that opinion causes you concern, too damned bad.

[embellisher]

I used to be that guy when I was young and stupid. Now it is one of my pet peeves. I hate seeing people throw things out the window. And I hate seeing trash on the side of the road. Can't believe that I was ever that selfish and stupid.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

Really?????? ya think????

Ya, really.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by Simo98

I'm guessing this is a similar system to what we have in one of the states here in Australia. You take all your bottles back to a depot, and they count them out and give you 10 cents (used to be 5) for every bottle you take back. It might not seem like a huge amount, but when you save every bottle, can and carton your drink from you generally get yourself a few hundred dollars a year. Throwing a good party will often net you 20-50 bucks!

Exactly.

Michigan has a .10 per bottle deposit, and the highest (96%) recycling rate.

Other states have .05 per bottle deposit and have lower (~75%) recycling rates.

Yet other states have no deposit, and have poor (~30%) recycling rates.

Originally Posted by Simo98

Almost nobody throws bottles out their window, that's ten cents your throwing away!

Because a majority of the little that comes out of peoples car windows is bottles and cans, the litter on the side of the road is cut down enormously. Because there is very little rubbish on the side of the road, most people with any scrap of conscience will also refrain from throwing anything else out there, rather than thinking "Oh, who cares, it's not like this one bit will make any difference, everyone else does it." So the total amount of litter around the place is reduced enormously.

Then, because there is a refund on any bottles and cans, many organisations will go and collect the cans as a fund raising exercise, and since they are out there they'll pick up any normal rubbish at the same time, so any litter that does get thrown out is collected by scouts, youth groups, etc.

A lot of people who are homeless or unable to work (mentally ill, unemployable) will also collect cans and bottles in their spare time for a bit of extra cash, I knew an old guy who used to collect a good hundred dollars a week on average in bottle refunds on his pushy.


It makes such a huge difference, I really have no idea why the rest of the country hasn't adopted the same system. You can drive 30 minutes over the border into Victoria, even in the countryside, and you'll notice a difference in the amount of rubbish on the side of the road, is phenomenal.

Yep - almost exactly the same here.

[nortonrider]

Originally Posted by Webtroll

Norton, chill out. I don't like when people toss lit cigarettes at any time, much less when there's a drought. If that opinion causes you concern, too damned bad.

Funny.......
whenever I have seen anyone around here throw a cig butt out of a car (or even on the ground), they have always been from Texas or New Mexico, never from Colorado.
I wonder what's up with that?

As far as the Indian Reservation goes:
Alcohol is illegal out there and as such, Beer bottles are tossed out of the car so as not to be caught with them.
Hence - broken beer bottles abound!

[Smokin' Toaster]

Originally Posted by duff beer

Smokers...the world is my ashtray.

+1. I've been known to shout "Hey you dropped your cigarette! I know it was an accident because only an asshat would throw their cigarette butt out on the ground". Repeat until the light changes or they get out and pick it up. The latter rarely happens.

Yeah, people think I'm nuts, but it shames and calls attention to the inconsiderate asshats that do it, and they so richly deserve to be shamed. I encourage everyone to do it.

[Webtroll]

Originally Posted by nortonrider

Funny.......
whenever I have seen anyone around here throw a cig butt out of a car (or even on the ground), they have always been from Texas or New Mexico, never from Colorado.
I wonder what's up with that?

Funny, when I get called out for being an ass I usually don't look for other ways to be insulting, but in your case I can be accommodating. I wonder what's up with that?

Where I to guess I'd say people in Texas probably have more time in warm weather allowing for more time to drive around with their windows down. Regardless of the reason I'm not a fan of people tossing their garbage out their windows, being lit or not.

I'll do the folks of Colorado a favor and assume you're not the norm there.

[nortonrider]

I'm sorry if my observations have somehow offended you.
If stating my experience makes me an ass, well then - so be it.

I don't want to internet fight with you, it's not worth my effort or time.
Have a nice day!

[Richland123]

Every household in my township has a recycle can for bottles, plastics, glass, cans, etc. that gets collected every two weeks. It's just as easy to put things in one can as the other.

[groooooove]

i will admit to throwing banana peels and apple cores to the side of the road..

never anything else though. the other stuff bugs me too.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by groooooove

i will admit to throwing banana peels and apple cores to the side of the road..

never anything else though. the other stuff bugs me too.

I do that when I'm biking only because I don't want to get sticky and/or bees. I don't consider a banana to be a huge deal since it should quickly compost. I'll keep my wrappers.

[aborgman]

Originally Posted by spade2you

I do that when I'm biking only because I don't want to get sticky and/or bees. I don't consider a banana to be a huge deal since it should quickly compost.

Around here it'd never have time to compost - between deer, raccoons, possums, skunks, etc... it'll get eaten shortly.