Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The (First) American State Litter Scorecard (2008), Stephen [Steve] L. Spacek

Stephen [Steve] L Spacek

ABSTRACT Littering is an American environmental crime, creating a danger to public health and safety. Experts nationwide have done little research on litter’s impingement upon state jurisdictional environmental degradation. Unfortunately, the 50 American states do not collect uniform litter data measures, such as volumes of waste collected, total litter eradication expenditures, the number of persons injured or killed by litter/dumping-related incidents. For the first time, a "litter scorecard" is created, measuring each state’s environmental quality indicators and litter eradication programs. The research first examines salient social and political mores that influence littering and statewide environmental degradation through a review of …