Environmental Impacts of Litter!

Environmental Impacts of Litter
Litter is a problem throughout NSW, particularly in urban areas and in the more populated areas of Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong. Litter is an environmental priority because it:

• Reduces the aesthetic appeal of public places including streets, parks and waterways.
  can kill aquatic life directly (eg. through choking) and indirectly through its impacts on water quality.
• Can cause blockages of the drainage system and flooding (costing councils millions of dollars to repair).
• Can be dangerous to people particularly when it involves items such as broken glass, needles and syringes.
• May be a fire hazard (lit cigarettes being thrown from vehicles).
  costs the community huge sums of money to clean up every year.
  can decrease oxygen levels when it decays in water.