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Litter consists of waste products that have been disposed improperly, without consent, at an inappropriate location. Litter can also be used as a verb. To litter means to throw (often man-made) objects onto the ground and leave them indefinitely or for others to dispose of as opposed to disposing of them properly. Larger hazardous items such as tires, appliances, electronics and large industrial containers are often dumped in isolated locations, such as national forests and other public land. It is a human impact on the environment and is a serious environmental issue in many countries. Litter can exist in the environment for long periods of time before degrading and be transported large distances into the world's oceans. Litter can affect quality of life. Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world, with 4.5 trillion discarded annually.〔Novotny, T.E. & Zhao, F. (1999). Consumption and production waste: another externality of tobacco use. Tobacco Control, 8, 75-80.〕 Estimates on the required time for cigarette butts to break down vary. They range from five years to 400 years for complete degradation. 〔(【引用サイトリンク】url= http://naturschutzbund.at/umweltthemen/articles/zigaretten.html )〕 ==Causes== In addition to intentional littering, almost half of litter on U.S. roadways is now a result of accidental or unintentional litter, usually debris that falls off of improperly secured trash, recycling collection vehicles and pickup trucks. Population levels, traffic density and proximity to waste disposal sites are factors known to correlate with higher litter rates.〔Northeast 2010 Litter Survey, http://njclean.org/DOCUMENTS/2010-Northeast-Litter-Survey-Final-Report.pdf Retrieved 2012.05.16.〕 Illegally dumped hazardous waste may be affected by the costs associated with dropping materials at designated sites; some facilities charge a fee for depositing hazardous material. Access to nearby facilities that accept hazardous waste may deter use. Additionally, ignorance of the laws that regulate the proper disposal of hazardous waste may have an impact on proper disposal. According to a study by the Dutch organization VROM, 80 percent of the people claim that "everybody leaves a piece of paper, tin or something, on the street behind".〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Volunteers Pick Up Litter in Sabana Park )〕 Young people from 12 to 24 years cause more litter than the average (Dutch or Belgian) person. Eighteen percent of people who regularly cause litter were 50 years of age or older. However, a 2010 survey of littering in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in the United States, placed litterers aged 55 and over at less than five percent. The same observational study estimated the overall average of litterers to be 78 percent male.〔 Nevertheless, automobile drivers and recreationalists, smokers and youth are specific target groups within many campaigns conducted to keep countries free of litter. In 1999, research by Keep America Beautiful found that 75% of Americans admitted to littering the last five years, yet 99% of the same individuals admitted they enjoyed a clean environment. Negligent or lenient law enforcement contributes to littering behavior. Other causes are inconvenience, entitlement and economic conditions. A survey of dumping in Pennsylvania found that the largest number of illegal dumps were in townships without municipal trash hauling.〔Illegal dump survey finds a lot of trash -- and a buffalo head http://www.ydr.com/ci_15429915 Retrieved 2012-05-15.〕 The same report also cites unavailability of curbside trash and recycling service, shortage of enforcement, and habit as possible causes.〔'PA CleanWays - Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful: Illegal Dump Survey Final Report York County 2010. http://www.keeppabeautiful.org/Portals/0/PDFs/IDS/MASTER_yorkIDS.pdf〕 The presence of litter invites more littering. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「litter」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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