TITLE:
Study of Litter on Delaware Roadways
AUTHORS:
Kasra Karimi, Ardeshir Faghri
KEYWORDS:
Litter, Illegal Dumping, Road, Delaware
JOURNAL NAME:
Current Urban Studies,
Vol.10 No.2,
June
9,
2022
ABSTRACT: Roadside litter has been a persistent issue in Delaware. In addition to
all the efforts from volunteer programs, the Delaware Department of Transportation
(DelDOT) spends nearly $2 million annually for removing and disposing of
roadside litter and illegal dumping. The increase in the number of people,
vehicles, and products has led to an increase in certain types of litter on the
roads. Additionally, the emergence of the global pandemic due to COVID-19 has
drastically aggravated the problem, particularly, due to the enormous increase
in the demand and use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and plastic
products used for packaging and take-out foods. The existing publications that
address the issue of roadside litter in Delaware are few in number and
scattered. The
goal of this study is to present concise yet comprehensive information about
the extent of these issues and the current litter abatement efforts in Delaware
and to introduce suggestions for mitigating this problem. For this purpose, a collection of relevant documents, including academic
and non-academic literature, have been reviewed and summarized. The issue of
roadside litter is a complex problem with numerous environmental, social, and
economic impacts. Further, litter and other types of debris on the roads can
pose serious safety hazards for road users. Although multiple positive steps
have been taken recently to tackle this issue in Delaware, more comprehensive
and effective strategies need to be established for boosting the current
measures. Some major areas for improvement include, but are not limited to,
enhancing education and public awareness programs, encouraging volunteer campaigns,
establishing more effective law enforcement methods, and improving the disposal
facilities.