June - July 2002 Edition 

Littering In Fair Lawn   By Ron Lotterman (Borough of Fair Lawn's Recycling Coordinator and Clean Communities Coordinator) The recent controversy of students littering at the High School has brought the issue of littering into the public spotlight. Unfortunately, while the focus remains on the area around the High School, litter continues to pile up in other areas around town. The issue is not only litter, but also illegal dumping.     Why do people litter? Mostly people litter due to laziness, apathy and disrespect for other people’s property. It is easier to throw your garbage on the ground rather than find a garbage can and place the garbage in the can. There are some instances where littering is due to ignorance or carelessness as people do not consider their actions to be littering, though it contributes to litter.     How do people litter? Conventional Littering: When someone drops garbage on the ground. The students at the High School who throw their cigarette butts on the ground fall into this category. Other examples are dumping your ashtray on the side of the road while waiting for the light to change or dropping your fast food or cigarette pack wrapper on the ground or similar acts.     Drive-by Littering: When you throw cigarette butts or garbage out the window of a moving vehicle.   Unintentional Littering: When you are not trying to litter but your actions result in litter. Some examples are: Throwing garbage onto an overflowing garbage can and it falls onto the ground or the wind blows it off the top of the “pile”. Drivers not securing the load on their truck causing the debris to blow off the truck onto the roadway. Residents placing their garbage at the curb in loose garbage bags or unsecured. The bags are ripped open by animals looking for food and cause litter to be spilled. Unsecured garbage blows around on windy days. Loose garbage left in cans without secure lids also contributes to litter when the garbage blows out of the can or the can falls over. Commuters who leave their papers behind at the bus stop / train station, thinking that they are doing something nice for the next commuter. In reality the paper blows around causing litter. Garage Sale, Lose Weight and other illegally posted signs. The litter left behind is the nails in the telephone poles and in some cases the signs falling to the ground.   Illegal Dumping: While this may not be considered by many to be littering, it is in the same category as littering and contributes to environmental harm and decay in the community. Illegal dumping is the intentional leaving of large amounts of debris on someone’s property or pouring / spilling liquids (especially hazardous waste) onto the ground to get rid of it.   Some recent examples of dumping: Commuter lot next to the Recycling Center where people leave recyclables and garbage because the Center is closed. (The complex is under video surveillance!) Kids taking couches and chairs into wooded areas to create an area to hang out. Residents dumping dog feces into storm drains. This was brought to light during our last drought when hundreds of blue bags were found in the pond behind Lyncrest School. All were washed to the pond from storm drains in the area. A refrigerator, cinderblocks and shopping carts found in the Passaic River by Wagaraw Road.   What are the Effects of Litter? The biggest problem with litter is the environmental impact. Litter on the streets gets washed into storm drains, which are not connected to the sewers, and is taken to a body of water where it pollutes the water. In Fair Lawn, these bodies of water include the Passaic and Saddle Rivers, the pond behind Lyncrest School and a variety of small creeks that run through town.   Another less documented problem with litter is the social impact it has on a community. Areas that have large amounts of litter are viewed as less desirable by people buying homes and becomes a magnet for criminals and undesirables as litter signifies that the community does not care about or pay attention to that area. In the early 90’s, Newark New Jersey did a study on litter. They took a 9 block area and cleaned it every day by sweeping the street, removing graffiti and picking up the litter. The result was a dramatic drop in crime in that area during the course of the study. Once the study was concluded and the area not cleaned, the crime rate steadily rose to its previous level within a few months.   All of these issues eventually lead to a decrease in property values and increased taxes to cover the cost of cleaning up the pollution and litter.   What Can You Do?   Many people, while they don’t litter, believe that there is nothing they can do. This belief cannot be further from the truth. Litter attracts more litter. The best way to combat litter is to pick up existing litter. Start by policing in front of your home and on your street. The Fair Lawn Recycling Division holds two litter clean-up days each year utilizing volunteers. Volunteer your time to help pick up litter.   Other suggestions include: Talking to your neighbors and friends to get them involved in the litter issue. If you see someone littering or illegally dumping, copy down their license plate and a description of the person and report it to the police. Do not confront the person. Keep a plastic bag in your car to put garbage until you can find a garbage can. Educate your children about litter. Put your garbage in a sturdy container with a tight fitting lid to prevent spillage and animals scavenging. Join the State Adopt-a-Highway program or start your own Adopt-a-Street or Park. Properly dispose of chemicals, paints, motor oil and anti-freeze to prevent it from accidentally spilling. Call the BCUA for information on their Household Hazardous Waste Collection Days – 201-807-5825.   What Do You Think?: Send an e- mail to editor@fairlawnnews.com or post a message on the Fair Lawn News Discussion Forum.