Michigan State University Extension
Tourism Educational Materials - 33800103
06/06/02
Litter Control In A Tourist Area- Methods and Costs
Source: Missouri
ID: 1935
Authors: Kuehn, John; McGill, Bob; Thacker, Don
year: 1979
The tourist and recreation industries have contributed much
economies of Missouri and its communities.
The Missouri Division of Tourism estimated that in 1976
tourists spent $2.25 billion in the State. Of the total
tourist spending, 40 percent went directly for wages and
incomes, 46 percent for purchase of goods and services by
the travel business, 12 percent for Federal and State
taxes, and 2 percent for local taxes. Additional respending
money in a community contributes even more to
business and local tax revenues.
"Repeated surveys have revealed Missouri's major appeal to
tourists generally centers around its still relatively
intact natural environment ....Missouri's natural
environment is a self-renewing resource when used with
care" (1) Unfortunately, in areas with high concentrations
of tourist activities, for example. stream-floating, large
impoundments, and appealing natural attractions, littering
can become a major despoiler of the natural environment -
rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides.
Litter clean-up can be expensive. For example, in fiscal
year 1978, the Missouri State Highway Department spent
$83,100 for picking up and disposing of litter strewn along
State's roadways. Litter cost the department and the
taxpayers over $25 per mile of State highway (2).
Methods and Costs of Controlling Litter
Effective methods of controlling litter ultimately depend
upon individuals' behavior. Hopefully, an individual is
less likely to litter if his trash is the first piece
discarded in a clean environment and if disposal facilities
conveniently provided. Business leaders and interested
communities can follow several courses of action to protect
environment and their investment in the tourist
industry. These include
1) annual or more frequent clean-ups of roadways,
rivers, and shorelines,
2) placing and servicing of litter barrels at river and
lake access points and at turnouts along local roads and
highways, and
3) providing litter bags to tourists and an advertising
campaign against littering.
Annual Clean-Ups - Many communities exhibit considerable
civic pride in the cleanliness of their town and its
surroundings. "The success of tourism in any community
depends heavily upon its attractiveness ....A run-down
slovenly community repels tourists" (3) In most
communities, civic organizations can sponsor an annual, or
more frequent, clean-up campaign. Such organizations
include 4-H clubs, scouting troops, and school groups among
young and several civic or sportsmens clubs among
adults. Volunteers with 30-gallon plastic bags can do much
to clean up litter.
One clean-up campaign should be held before the start of
the tourist season. A litter-free community would hopefully
upon its visitors and residents the need for proper disposal
trash. Out-of- pocket costs associated with an
annual campaign could be minimal with the support of
civic-minded volunteers. Some direct costs would include:
1) 30-gallon polyethylene bags (16 x 14 x 31 inches x 2
mm)
a) in small quantities, about .15 cents apiece,
b) in large quantities of several thousand, about .08
cent apiece The heavy-weight (2 mm) bags are recommended to
tearing and subsequent spilling of collected litter.
Usage of plastic bags in the town's solid waste collection
system would make joint purchasing of large quantity lots
possible.
2) Disposal of collected bags at a sanitary landfill.
Many landfill rates appear to be about $ 1.00 to $3.00 per
pick-up truck.
3) A picnic lunch or snack for volunteers with possible
prizes for individuals collecting the most litter. Budget
about $1.00 per volunteer.
Use of Litter Barrels - Some communities may choose to
install and service litter barrels along river access
points and local road turnouts in addition to those built
and maintained by State and Federal agencies at highway
rest stops and other sites.
Before a decision is made to use litter barrels,
communities should be aware of the misuse such disposal
sites can suffer. Vandalism of the sites can become a major
necessitating the chaining of litter barrels to
solid supports anchored in concrete. The possibility of
fires being ignited in the trash at unsupervised, remote
sites often precludes using dumpsters that can cost several
dollars. Also, trash barrels often become disposal
sites not only for travelers' litter but for resident
households' solid waste.
Several barrels can be placed at each site. Installation
cost per barrel is estimated to be $35 (4). This includes
the barrel, a concrete base, posts cable. and lock. This
installation cost would likely be incurred only during the
first year of operation. Maintenance and replacement of
barrels will depend upon vandalism and the characteristics
of each specific site, for example. floodplain location.
Costs for solid waste disposal per site are budgeted at $40
month during the tourist season.
Litter Bags and Advertising - In an effort to protect the
environment, public groups and private operators can
provide litter bags for tourists and recreationists. In
some areas, operators renting boats and canoes have
installed on their equipment adhesive signs or bumper
stickers that advertise environmental messages.
Several manufacturers quote prices for heavyweight,
polyethylene bags with drawstrings. Such bags would be
suitable for litter bags. The drawstring enables the bags
to be closed and tied to boats or canoes. Quotes as of
January 1979 were for white bags measuring approximately 10
6 inches x 2 mm with green printing of an
anti-litter slogan. Prices, including preparation of
artwork or lettering were:
Quantity Total Cost Range Per Bag Cost Range
5,000 $500-$600 .10 - .12 cents
10,000 $450-$825 .45 - .825 cents
Several factors need to be considered in purchasing litter
bags.
* First, most firms will furnish such items only if a
minimum number, for example, at least 5,000 are ordered.
* Secondly, the cost per bag decreases dramatically with
large quantity orders, partly because additional
manufacturers with high minimum quantity orders are
considered.
* Third, given the wide range of costs indicated above, it
certainly pays to shop around. Obtain price quotes from as
many bag manufacturers as possible (5). The large 30-gallon
mentioned earlier may be less expensive than the
smaller bags with drawstrings.
Bumper stickers placed not only on vehicles but also inside
and canoes repeatedly remind recreationists and
residents not to litter. Price quotes were obtained for a
removable vinyl sticker measuring about 3 3/4 x 15 inches
with green lettering on a white background (6). Lettering
used as an example includes "Slow It ...Don't Litter" in
1 1/4-inch letters and "Keep America Beautiful" in 3/4-inch
letters. Average price quotes in January 1979 were:
Quantity Total Cost Range Per Bag Cost
Range
500 $120 .24 cents
1,000 $180 .18
2,500 $325 .13
Summary of Costs
The table below can be used to estimate first year costs
for implementing an anti-litter campaign. Cost of freight
delivery may be additional, however some manufacturers pay
freight costs.
Example for using the worksheet - A hypothetical community
enlisted fifty volunteers for two clean-up campaigns per
year. Five hundred canoes were rented for 4,000 float trips
summer. Litter bags were dispensed for another 900
float trips per season. The community installed 10 trash
barrels at two river access points, used large bags for
litter control, and ordered a two-year supply of bumper
stickers. The main tourist season was May to September.
Total first year cost for the example community was
$1,438.00. Costs in the second year were lower because of
volume purchases of stickers in the first year and because
of low or no replacement costs for trash barrels.
Notes
1. Hancock, H. K.,"Tourism and Missouri" Recreation, Park
and Leisure Guide Number 501, University of Missouri -
Columbia Extension Division, 1975.
2. Conversation with personnel of the Missouri State
Highway Department, 3 January 1979.
3. Epperson, Arlin, "Planning for Tourism," Recreation,
Parks, and Leisure Guide Number 503, University of Missouri
Columbia Extension Division, 1976.
4. Conversation with personnel of the Missouri State
Department of Conservation, 3 January 1979.
5. Identification of bag manufacturers may be facilitated
by sources known to the community's merchants and by
consulting the Thomas Register of American Manufacturers
under "Bags" and the Missouri Directory of Manufacturing
and Mining under SIC codes 2643 and 3079. Other states also
similar directories.
6. Identification of printers furnishing stickers can be
obtained from the above sources, particularly, those listed
SIC codes 2751, 2752, and 3079.
Sources for Additional Information
University of Missouri-Columbia Extension Division
Recreation, Parks and Leisure Guides available from UM
Extension Centers.
RG502 Missouri and the Tourist
RG504 Tourist Hospitality
RGS05 Tourism Promotion
Work Sheet
SUMMARY OF FIRST YEAR COSTS
Example Community Your Community
No. Price Costs No. Price Costs
A. Clean-up Campaigns
30 gallon bags
Small lots 0 .15 0 .15
Large lots 100 .08 8.00 .08
Disposal per
pickup load, $1- $3
4 2.00 8.00 1.00
Picnic lunch 100 1.00 100.00 1.00
B. Trash barrels
First year
installation costs
10 35.00 350.00 35.00
Disposal- No. of sites x
No. of months 10 40.00 400.00 40.00
C. Litter bags & stickers
Small litter bags with drawstring
5000 @.10 -.12 0 0
10000 @.045-.0825 0 0
Large trash bags
Small lots 0 .15 0 .15
Large lots 4900 .08 392.00 .08
Stickers
500 0 .24 0 .24
1000 1000 .18 180.00 .18
2500 0 .13 0 .13
D. TOTAL FIRST YEAR COSTS $1,438.00 $
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work Acts of
and June 30, 1914 in cooperation with the United
States Department of Agriculture. Carl N. Scheneman, Vice
President for Extension, Cooperative Extension, University
of Missouri and Lincoln University, Columbia, Missouri
65211. An equal opportunity employer.
1935
6/79/2M
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