What are different types of litter?
Monday ~ March 03, 2010
Litter is defined as an unwanted accumulation of trash distributed in a non-organized manner. That is, all of the materials AndrewG mentioned can be valuable byproducts... as long as they are organized. The putrescible materials can be turned into compost to fertilize your garden, for example, and many of the non-degradable ones can be recycled (aluminum cans, plastic bottles). Litter is a nuisance because it is uncontrolled and spoils the area it accumulates in.
wool socks
orange peels
plastic bags
food/candy wrappers
straws
banana skin
gum
condoms
plastic forks, knives, and spoons
polystyrene
plastic from a six pack of soda or beer
aluminum cans
plastic bottles
glass bottles
tin cans
Both types can have negative impacts:
Putrescible litter (such as food scraps, garden waste) will decompose, but may produce polluting products.
Inert materials (plastics, glass, etc)may persist in the environment for years, and cause damage (eg, injury to marine life caused by plastic waste).
In the environment, natural litters (leaf litter, wood, etc) gradually decomposes and eventually forms the humus of topsoil.
