Categories: Philly

Litter in Philadelphia: Update

Litter is causing an uproar on the Philly internets.

A prime example of overstuffed brown paper “trash cans”, contributing to litter on trash days. , as seen last week in my neighborhood.

We addressed the causes, frustrations and potential solutions for Philadelphia’s litter in our blog post last week, Why is Philly so Dirty? The Litter Epidemic. Insightful reader comments sparked conversation about citizen attitude, neighborhoods with paid personnel and plastic pollution.

On April 24th, Jared Shelly, Digital Producer of Philadelphia Business Journal shared a Twitter explosion after he asked Mayor Nutter about the city’s plan for litter on the streets. Mayor Michael Nutter originially responded “PEOPLE SHOULD STOP THROWING TRASH ON THE GROUND.help us keep our City clean, we all have this responsibility.“

Philadelphians didn’t like that response, although the Twitterverse replied with suggestions of street sweepers, paying people to pick up the litter, and subsidizing the purchase of trash bins.

Helen Ubinas of Philly.com questioned the cost of illegal dumping versus the UnLitter Us Campaign which is about $500,000 annually.

Jon Geeting of This Old City recently blamed the litter on Philadelphia’s parking politics and would need implementing alternate-side street parking.

Eyes on the Streets via Generocity highlighted Frankford CDC’s neighborhood group, providing 50 trash cans & 50 recycling bins for residents to target litter reduction.

Alas, the litter conversation continues on Twitter. Readers, what do you expect to happen as a result of all this litter coverage?

Julie Hancher

Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia.