Litter change along the Glenn Highway

Observation by Julia Montero:

As I was driving home from school, I noticed the amount of trash on the side of the roads, easily visible now that the snow is almost all melted. All along the highway, meaningless garbage covers the stretch I take from Anchorage to Eagle River every day. This garbage has been there all winter, of course. As I look out the car window, I wonder if people are more likely to litter in the winter where the snow coverage conceals their wrongdoings. It's interesting to observe the trash on that stretch of road. Interesting because on the stretch from Eagle River to Wasilla, not too far away, the garbage pollution is significantly less noticeable. I wonder what differentiates these two locations and why people feel more comfortable littering on one versus the other.

Comment by LEO Network editors

Litter seems to be increasing in the Anchorage area. The stretch that you have noticed more littering could be as simple as proximity to Anchorage and larger population of drivers per day. Two great initiatives by the City of Anchorage and Alaska Department of Transportation can definitely help keep our roads clean. This is important to enjoy our transportation corridors and for to protect wildlife. The regulation on littering along Alaska's highways is 13 Alaska Admin. Code § 02.530. You can read more on the Alaska litter rules and ways to help prevent littoring in the attached weblinks. Lars Flora