Why the increase in litter?

[weary]

Amen. I was furious by the time I finished the Approach Trail weekend before last. Candy wrappers, Gatorade bottles, snack bags, a Weber grill on top of Frosty Mountain... Right now I see that as one of the things that "matter". With blatant littering and vandalism so obvious, I just can't work up the concern for what strikes me as wear and tear by trail pedestrians. I would feel justified in confronting someone dropping wrappers on the trail. At least there are laws in place making that illegal.

Trails I walked on in the 60s and 70s were pretty much as AbeHikes describes on the approach trail today. Cans and papers littered the routes. Every fire place had a can dump next to it.

A lot of people cleaned up that trash and things improved immensely in the following decades -- only to get worse recently. The question is why. I think Bryson's book that dealt with litter as something to laugh at probably is one reason. I know I saw very little approach trail litter when I climbed it in mid-April of 1993.

But I also think the old motto, "Carry In; Carry Out" was more effective than the more philosophical, "Leave No Trace," which strikes me as widely ignored. Questions: Is litter really worse now? If so why? What can be done about it? ....?

Weary

[Lone Wolf]

Why? Books, DVDs and the internet are bringing people to the trail in droves.

[weary]

Why? Books, DVDs and the internet are bringing people to the trail in droves.

That was certainly true through around 2000. But according to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, use has been going steadily down since then.

[Lone Wolf]

Then it's probably caused by younger hikers that were brought up poorly. Slobs. No manners. Selfish. Apathetic.

[Ridge]

The quality of hiker seems to have been going down hill for a long time. Its disgusting seeing all the trash in fire-pits and on the trail, not just at the trail-heads, but deep into the trail. Cigarette butts, toilet paper, cans, bottles, wrappers, etc. I'm beginning to think the motto is "Carry in, Leave in". I expect this spring will bring a load of hikers along with loads of trash. LNT seems to have gone by the wayside far a large number of trail users, most have never even heard of it. It seems the cleanest spot on or near the trail are the inside of trash cans.

[Alligator]

The quality of hiker seems to have been going down hill for a long time. Its disgusting seeing all the trash in fire-pits and on the trail, not just at the trail-heads, but deep into the trail. Cigarette butts, toilet paper, cans, bottles, wrappers, etc. I'm beginning to think the motto is "Carry in, Leave in". I expect this spring will bring a load of hikers along with loads of trash. LNT seems to have gone by the wayside far a large number of trail users, most have never even heard of it. It seems the cleanest spot on or near the trail are the inside of trash cans.

So what approaches are recommended by your club?

[Ridge]

Then it's probably caused by younger hikers that were brought up poorly. Slobs. No manners. Selfish. Apathetic.

Several years ago I mailed a box of garbage, including religious pamphlets, and various other litter left by a large church group, to the said church. I explained to them they surely must be looking for all the garbage they left, after all godliness and cleanliness goes hand and hand, right?

[Almost There]

Other thing I have been noticing in Ga. is that many of the bear proof garbage cans have been removed. Don't know why but I know Xmas, Chief and I noticed it at Gooch Gap last weekend and Skidsteer mentioned it at Dick's Creek. Not to say this is an excuse I have packed out my share of other people's cigarette butts, etc. But the cans do encourage people to throw out their trash...maybe the forest service/park service can't "afford" it anymore...

[weary]

In my experience over the years, litter seems to breed litter. Once a trail is trashed others seem to just add more junk without seriously thinking about it. One solution to keeping the mess manageable is for maintainers -- and hikers -- to pick up trash early and often, thus reducing the overall volume.

Weary

[AbeHikes]

I don't know the answer to your question, but it definitely pissed me off. I'm raising 3 kids. I shouldn't need to pick up after adults... with pockets.

[Spirit Walker]

The AT gets a lot of users who have little or no previous hiking experience. Many of them really have never heard of "pack it in pack it out" or leave no trace. Many don't understand that some things don't burn completely in a fire. Most don't even notice when they tear off the corner of a granola bar and it falls to the ground. Many assume that banana peels or oranges or nut shells will biodegrade sooner rather than later. Some don't realize that you don't use soap in a spring, or wash your dishes and/or hair in the water source. (Yes, it's biodegradable, but it takes three years to break down.) It takes experience and education - which many new hikers don't get before they start the trail. That means it's up to us, who have experience, to gently let them know when their behavior is inappropriate. Not that it seems to do much good - but at least let them think about the fact that what they are doing is trashing up the backcountry. Next time they may not do it. I have confronted people more than once on issues like leaving garbage in the firepit, carving names in shelters, washing dishes with soap in the stream, etc. Though I try to be nice - I still come off as a bitch. Doesn't matter. Keeping my mouth shut and ignoring the issue makes me feel a lot worse.

[Ridge]

I have seen USFS employees tossing wrappers and bottles on the ground after having lunch somewhere on USFS lands. Logging operations on USFS lands leave everything from oil and diesel spills to their other litter. It seems to never stop and its a fact the people that litter far outnumber those who pick up.

[terrapin05]

The 5 cent refund on bottles and cans(and should be water bottles)is one method that has worked all over NewEngland ,MI,and CA Not only good for aesthetics,but it is an incentive to recycle. The kid who gets to keep all those nickels he picks up or doesnt throw out..soon learns the value of recycling,hence we all win.

[Spirit Walker]

When we hiked the CDT in New Mexico the jeep roads were lined with beer cans, thousands of beer cans. (FWIW - The overwhelming majority were Bud and Bud Lite.) I kept wishing they had deposits on the cans - it would have made such a difference. At one overlook, with a terrific view of a wilderness area below, there were dozens of cans. I kept picturing some guy grunting, "Nice wilderness" as he tossed his can out the window.

[icemanat95]

It's not just hikers.

I remember in the early to middle seventies there was the keep America beautiful campaign with the Indian riding into what should be a beautiful vista and finding a trash heap then shedding a tear. That was an effective campaign. Things started getting cleaned up. Somewhere along the line though people got stupid and lazy and started tossing things out the windows of their cars as they drove, they toss bottles and cans, baby diapers, whatever comes to hand that they don't want to carry to the next trash bin. The individual just doesn't see that their little bit of littering is going to have that much of an affect. But Every few weeks, I've got to go out to my woodline and pick trash out of the border because some slobs tossed trash out of their car or lost control of it while opening the door and instead of chasing it down, let the wind take it. I also find crap on the trails through my woods prompting me to seriously consider posting my property.

The litter on the trails is just a little bit of what is happening in society as a whole.

[weary]

Iceman:

I've been walking our town land trust lands during the past few weeks in preparation for our annual Spring newsletter. It's my experience that long term walkers routinely pick up their trash. It's the newcomers that create litter problems.

Hey. Weary here:

[mambo_tango]

Then it's probably caused by younger hikers that were brought up poorly. Slobs. No manners. Selfish. Apathetic.

Taking after the parents no doubt. Hello? Baby boomers? Not exactly a sterling example IMHO. I do my very best not to litter (just don't look in my room or my car - hey it is all contained!). I think laziness is a chronic problem throughout any generation.

[eyewall]

I live in Iowa where there is a 5cent deposit on all cans and bottles. It really makes a difference. But you still see yahoos throwing crap out cars. I can not for the life of me understand why smokers throw cigarettes out the window when in their car that they paid 10 grand for has an ashtray in it. When I lived in Mississippi in the 70s, there was trash everywhere. I personally think its a lack of respect and forethought. My grandfather kicked my butt if I threw stuff out a car window. He would stop and make me walk back to pick it up. I think we need more of that...you only do it once or twice, then it sinks in...

[weary]

....I do my very best not to litter (just don't look in my room or my car - hey it is all contained!). I think laziness is a chronic problem throughout any generation.

That's how I tell litterers. If they drive a dirty and cluttered car I know the stuff isn't going onto the highway. An uncluttered car should be accepted by the courts as prima facie evidence that the occupants litter.

Weary

[Kerosene]

That's how I tell litterers. If they drive a dirty and cluttered car I know the stuff isn't going onto the highway. An uncluttered car should be accepted by the courts as prima facie evidence that the occupants litter.

I'll take exception to this. It's not that hard to keep the interior of your car immaculate without throwing stuff out the window.