Creatures in Need of a Press Agent Week -- Candidate No. 5--The Litterbug

Alas, no amount of media spin will be able to endear this invasive species to our community. The trail of the litterbug can be found on any urban street, along the side of even the most rural highway, and in your favorite Pennsylvania natural area. In fact, this is a case when myths have been employed to mask the truth. For example:

Myth: "Throwing butts does not harm anything - everyone does it."

Fact:

• Cleaning up litter costs about nine times more than it cost to collect it.
• A fire starts every 12 minutes in litter.
• A two-mile stretch of highway contains approximately 32,000 pieces of litter.
• Litter lowers property values.
• Every year, thousands of animals die from strangling or choking on litter.
• 4,300,000,000,000 non-biodegradable cigarette butts are littered each year.

Reference material and logo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Resources Council.

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