Cleanliness

Litter

Like many big cities in the United States, Baltimore has too much litter in its streets, neighborhoods, public spaces, storm drains, waterways, and elsewhere throughout our community.

Litter

It is difficult to motivate individuals to take actions affecting more global environmental threats when the space directly around them is dirtied with litter. Litter is an expensive problem – it lowers property values, it is expensive to clean, it detracts from tourism, and it endangers the water quality and aquatic life on which Baltimore depends. Here are five strategies to help:

  • Educate residents and businesses about proper trash storage and disposal
  • Expand existing programs to maximize public trash and recycling bin use
  • Launch a public education campaign to change the public’s attitude toward litter
  • Issue every household a large municipal trash can
  • Improve the enforcement of current sanitation code
Metrics:
Partner Organizations:
What You Can Do
  1. Organize a Community Pitch In (PDF)
  2. Always place your trash in a can with a tight fitting lid
  3. Place your trash containers in the proper location the morning of your scheduled trash pick up
  4. Trash placed out the night before must be in a lidded container and please be careful to avoid blocking alleyways and sidewalks
  5. Never make your trash can heavier than 35 pounds