Analyzing Trash Piece-by-Piece Can Curb Littering, Study Finds

Littering continues to be a growing environmental concern: In 2020, 24 billion pieces of litter were found on U.S. roadways, and another 26 billion were picked up near waterways, according to the nonprofit Keep America Beautiful. These bits of polluting trash not only pose grave threats to wildlife; they also hurt neighborhoods by spreading diseases and bacteria, and degrading quality of life.

But existing policies to penalize illegal dumping and clean up what’s already on the ground may not be enough to end the vicious cycle of new litter.

Between 2018 and 2020, environmental researcher Win Cowger and a team of students at the University ...