Litter is waste disposed in the wrong place by unlawful human action and can vary in size of incident, occurrence or items. It can occur as small items like wrappers, large collections of waste or scatterings of litter dispersed around public places outdoors. Litter can be occasioned by malicious, careless or accidental intent and is generally disposed of illegally rather than lawfully. Litter has the potential to cause harm to human health, safety and welfare, it harms wildlife and causes negative environmental impact on Earth. Waste abandoned in a private space is not considered litter. The American Public Works Association standardized the term litter in the mid-20th Century, to be later known as a form of solid waste—"…material which, if thrown or deposited, tends to create a danger to public health, safety and welfare." Litter is categorized into three specific components: hazardous, reusable-recyclable and non-hazardous, non-from trash-hauling vehicles, unsecured loads, or construction sites.

Who's to blame for litter?

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Studies show that areas which are allowed to remain dirty are prone to becoming dirtier, i.e. areas near fast food restaurants, bus stops and cigarette smoking; litter gives "permission" to litter. There are also natural causes such as high winds disturbing litter containers. Lack of environmental awareness is believed to be one of the reasons for littering. Some researches bind littering with lack of education.Fact: date=May 2007

Francis McAndrew's Environmental Psychology, a textbook used by scholars to explain littering by humans, reports that women, youth, rural dwellers and live-alone peoples litter more than men, seniors, urban dwellers and multi-person households. Picnickers, hunters, fishermen, campers, motorboaters, water skiers, careless pedestrians, motorists, truck drivers, construction and loading dock workers, are prime litter providers. Prototype research by the state of Texas "profiled" litterers being males, youth under age 25, smokers, and frequenters to bars, parties and fast food restaurants. These research results are replicated by many state governments to tailor and enforce litter eradication programs.

Many factors contribute to why people choose to litter, according to McAndrew. He argues the "presence of other litter" is a powerful instigator. Studies confirm that litter begets litter. A "disconnect from reality" – apathy – is a second dynamic. Research by Keep America Beautiful in 1999 found 75 percent of Americans admitted to littering in the last five years, yet 99 percent of the same surveyed individuals admitted they enjoyed a clean environment. Negligent, lax law enforcement contributes significantly to this disconnect. Generally, violations must be witnessed to be legally pursued. Inconvenience is another influence. Entitlement is a fourth dynamic to why people litter. A fifth factor is class alienation leading to poor education of individuals. "Dumping is a social activity we learn from...parents and pass on unconsciously to...children." Litterers are "raised badly" by parents--"…vandals with little sense the damage they do." The temptation to litter can be motivated "by greed" and ignorance about the law and its actual enforcement, according to a Federal document by The United States Department of Justice, mentioning the criminal intent of suspects arrested for illegal waste disposal, reassured by lax law enforcement. Finally, governmental neglect influences littering. "Government… followed the path of least resistance…addressing externalities…that may pose…health threat1…to nearby communities." Culturally biased indifference by public servants causes some communities to have persistent dumping problems.