End littering
35 billion pieces, and falling
Ninety-six pieces of litter for every person in America. That is the problem stated plainly — and it is a third smaller than it was five years ago, which is the part worth acting on.
End Litter
Litter is more than an eyesore on our landscape. Litter is costly to clean up. It impacts our health and well-being. It threatens our environment and wildlife. It finds its way into our waterways and oceans.
What’s also true is that litter is a solvable problem. The solution starts by recognizing that over 90% of Americans believe that litter is a problem.
How do we end litter in America?
Litter in America: Our Research
The 2026 National Litter Study updates the groundbreaking Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study, whose findings are below.
In 2021, we released the largest study on litter in America. The Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study provides a detailed understanding of the quantity, composition, and sources of litter across the United States.
Key findings of the 2020 study include:
- There are nearly 50 Billion pieces of litter along U.S. roadways and waterways
- We found slightly more litter along waterways (25.9B) than roadways (23.7B)
- The pandemic opened a new category of litter: we found 207.1M Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) items littered, about the same number as plastic straws
The Science of Litter
Part of understanding the problem of litter is defining it. We use world-class methodology informed by academics, professional social scientists, and leading researchers to gather data on litter and littering.
With the support of corporate America, foundations, and individuals, our report research follows a multi-method approach.
Community Appearance Index
Using Citizen Science, we conduct a comprehensive annual assessment to gather data to assess the overall appearance of communities using quantifiable indicators such as litter, illegal signs, graffiti, and more. Measuring these points of data allows us to better understand the problem of litter, gauge our progress against it, uncover new challenges, and inspire new strategies to end litter.
Trends in litter
There is good news. We’ve found a decrease of 54 percent in litter along United States roadways in the past decade.
Approximately 51.2 billion pieces of litter were estimated along United States roadways in 2009. The Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study estimated approximately 23.7 billion pieces of litter were along United States roadways in 2020, a reduction of over 54%! But the work continues:
The good news: several high-profile litter categories saw large decreases in the number of littered items from 2009 to 2020 including:
cigarette butts
fast food wrappers and containers
soft drink containers
The bad news: other key product categories saw increases in the amount of litter from 2009 to 2020, including:
cardboard
beer containers
food-packaging film
sports drinks containers
water containers
KAB Volunteers By The Numbers
Last year alone, over 400,000 hard-working volunteers logged more than 2.9 Million volunteer hours over the course of over 64,000 events. What did our combined service to our communities accomplish?
69,689,184 POUNDS
Of litter, debris, and recycling collected
146,647 acres
Cleaned of litter
59,874 MILES
Of streets, roads, and highways cleaned and beautified
7,461 MILES
Of rivers, lakes, wetlands and shores cleaned
31,899 TREES
Planted, helping restore communities
The movement, measured
What five years changed
35B
Pieces remaining
On the ground nationally
96
Pieces per person
Down from 152 in 2020
34%
Overall decline
Roadways and waterways combined
60,000
Community events
Held in 2025 alone
94,000
Public spaces
Cleaned by volunteers in 2025
20%
Is cigarette butts
The single most littered item
Source: Keep America Beautiful 2026 National Litter Study, and 2025 community-event reporting; butt share from the 2020 National Litter Study (kab.org)
What actually moves the number
Every piece counts, and that is measurable
The decline above is not an accident. It is millions of individual pickups, counted. Your affiliate can tell you where the next one is.
Litter is not one problem with one fix. It is a behavior, an infrastructure gap and an economic question at the same time, which is why ending it takes communities, states, educators and companies working the same problem from different sides.
Since our inception we have proven, again and again, that sustained change happens when all members of a community are brought together.
Working within communities
You might say, 'I'm just one person, what can I do?' Your help matters. When others see that you care for your community, they care too — and over time, behavior changes.
Taking statewide action
State and municipal governments play a key role in litter on our streets, in our parks and in our waterways. Affiliates work side by side with them, adding their voices to those supporting better waste management and infrastructure.
Working together
More than 700 affiliates, working in thousands of communities across the nation, are the mechanism by which a national intention becomes a local Saturday morning.
Educating and organizing
Litter reduction is a long-term effort. Keep America Beautiful partners with businesses large and small to provide educational resources and promote cleaning, greening and beautifying across America.
Supporting the work through corporate responsibility
Reduce, reuse and recycle solutions address the sources of litter. Partner investment builds the affiliate network's capacity through technology, training and skills development.
National Webinar Series
Communities In Action
Panelists discuss the problems our communities are facing and present real examples of how we are coming together to take action to Keep America Beautiful.
All Creatures Great & Small – Water
A 2023 webinar on the impact of litter on marine animals and its ecological consequences, with community-based solutions for reducing litter in our seas, rivers, and oceans.
All Creatures Great & Small – Land & Air
A July 12, 2023 webinar on the effects of litter on land and air-based ecosystems and wildlife, including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and insects.
How We Can End Litter
The facts on litter are sobering. According to our most recent Litter Study there are 35 Billion pieces of litter on the ground. That’s 96 pieces of litter for every American.
But there is good news. In the past 5 years, littering along US roadways is down 34%!
And in 2025 alone, over 60,000 community events were held in the US, resulting in over 94,000 public spaces cleaned up by volunteers like you.
What else can be done?
Do your part by joining the Greatest American Cleanup Challenge. Join thousands of people making their communities cleaner and more beautiful for America’s 250th. Text LITTER to 475-500-8569to get encouraging reminders to pick up litter in your community. Every piece counts. Help us reach 25 million pieces by July 4.
Download the 2026 National Litter Study
Do your part by joining the Greatest American Cleanup Challenge. Join thousands of people making their communities cleaner and more beautiful for America’s 250th. Text LITTER to 475-500-8569to get encouraging reminders to pick up litter in your community. Every piece counts. Help us reach 25 million pieces by July 4.
Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
Since 2002, our Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, the nation’s largest program aimed at eliminating cigarette litter, has been implemented in over 1,800 communities, reducing cigarette litter by HALF within six months, on average.
Litter Resources
Looking for additional information on litter?
Whether you’re an individual looking to find information about living a zero-waste lifestyle, a teacher looking for educational resources, or a company looking for information on how to hold a corporate cleanup day, take a look at our resource page!
