The Psychology of Littering - Evaluating the "Litterati".

It's a question I ask myself all the time.  Why?

And a common one for me relates to littering.  A habit so annoying and so easy to avoid that I honestly don't see how it continues.  Even more interesting to me is how people justify the practice.  No hiding or fear of getting caught. Almost as if it is really OK.

Do you litter?  Be honest.  If so, why?

In a world where trash cans cover the landscape around where we live, what leads people to litter? Is it a conscious act?  Is it an old habit taught by the parents?  Or is it just pure laziness?

Here's a new term for these folks who boldly litter as if what they are doing isn't wrong.  It's based on the term "Glitterati" which means:

"wealthy or famous people who conspicuously or ostentatiously attend fashionable events" according to dictionary.com.

The "Litterati" are people who must think they are famous in that they believe they can litter and get away with it.  Separate rules, you know?

Littering comes in many forms, so let's talk about a few:

FROM THE CAR

So, you are driving behind someone on the freeway during the day and a small wrapper flies past. Maybe it is a plastic grocery bag.  But it clearly came out of the window of the car in front of you. What were they thinking?  

It's small, no one will know.

It's common, everyone does it.

I'm going 60 in lots of traffic, no one will know it was me.

I don't like to trash my car, so I'll let someone else pick it up.

What possible internal argument justifies littering vs. finding a trash can at the next stop? Probably my biggest pet peeve here is the flying cigarette (no, those aren't lightning bugs coming at you).  The cigarette out the window is so common I probably see one per day and they are often in the evening.  Clearly there is no well-understood rule here as everyone does it.

I wonder if it was cool once - back in the day when smoking was cool - to "flick your smoke" from the car.  Hey, at least you keep your car clean (even though your lungs are not), right?

Sorry if this feels like less of a review of the psychology and more of a rant, but this one I just don't understand.  So maybe ranting helps me penetrate what's happening in the mind of the litterati.

OUT AND ABOUT

Baseball fields, skate parks, community parks.  We all use these parks and we all would like to see them kept clean, right?  Yet, they are not.

I showed up with my 10 year old son at the skate park a few weeks a go.  Sunday morning.  No less than 15 pieces of trash on the ground within 10 feet of an empty trash can.  So, as my son heads into the bowl, I start walking around and picking up.  Good to do and plenty of time on my hands.  A few people watched me closely.

Why aren't we self-policing this?  Why, when one of two 15 year olds tosses their Red Bull to the ground, isn't the other saying "Dude, the trash can's right there?"  Didn't they get enough Earth Day messaging on Toon Disney when they were kids?  Isn't the younger generation supposed to be more concerned about that then the rest of us?

So, here's my idea.  

From the day we are born, everyone wears a belt and to that belt everyone attaches a small litter bag. All your trash goes sin the bag and when it is full you empty it.  This way we establish a new, healthy habit for the environment. Once you can prove your ability to use your litter bag responsibly, you are able to remove the litter bag from your belt - only then can you buy and attach a cell phone.  Thereby joining the mature class of citizen.

If you are still walking around with a litter bag attached to your belt in high school, people will wonder what's wrong with you.  Why haven't you learned what everyone else has?  That littering is unnecessary. And that being a member of the litterati is not cool. 

Not practical?  Perhaps not.  Hmmm.  How else can we change our habits?  Or reinforce the rules?

Your ideas? 

Comments

[N. Jonathan Christopher]

Presenting this blog on how to deal with litter is a good attempt to bring this public notice. Hope that more people will understand this problem and take adequate measures along with your suggestions.
-Jonathan
http://www.p2w2.com

[Tim Tyrell-Smith]

Hi Jonathan - Thanks for your comment and, yes, something needs to be done! Hope it helps!