Litter — it's the burger wrapper tossed from a moving car, the plastic bottle left behind at the beach and the cigarette butt dropped on the sidewalk. Improperly disposed of garbage doesn't just litter the land. Trash is afflicting the oceans, and the deputy general of the U.N. called marine litter a "ubiquitous global problem."
Why can't some people just hold onto that burger wrapper? Or tuck a plastic bottle back into their bag? Researchers call it "littering behavior," and there are multiple reasons why people mindlessly discard their trash.
Scientists are trying to learn more about littering behavior so they can convert chronic litterers and limit the amount of waste, particularly plastic, that plagues the world's waterways. Environmental advocates say it's a critical issue that is about to get worse.
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Litter is considered any type of solid waste improperly disposed of. That could be as small as ...
