A Call to Action: Changing the Culture

On January 28, 2025, Mableton passed its solid waste ordinance which reinforces existing state statute that littering is illegal.

Littering is not just illegal in Mableton. Littering is a crime in the entire state of Georgia, and has been since 2006.

In 2006 the Georgia General Assembly passed a law (O.C.G.A. § 16-7-43(b)(c)) known as the Comprehensive Litter Prevention and Abatement Act of 2006. This  act established a clear definition of litter, and punishment for acts of littering. Anyone caught littering in Georgia can be ordered to pay a fine of as much as $1,000 or more and convicted litterers can also be ordered to clean up a littered area in a community.

So if littering has been officially illegal in the state of Georgia for the past 19 years, why is littering still so prevalent? If the City of Mableton felt it was important enough to codify the prohibition of littering, then why hasn’t littering behavior improved?

There are several factors, some more obvious than others:

1.) Lack of enforcement. Littering laws are simply not enforced.

2.) Lack of awareness. Surprisingly, some people aren’t aware of the impact litter has on how their community is perceived, the hazards litter poses to wildlife, the affects litter has on stormwater, or the effects litter has on tourism and economic vitality.

3.) Public apathy & cultural norms. Of all the variables that affect littering behavior, this one is the most significant.

First, I should first define what I mean by “culture”. Culture is the shared beliefs, values, customs, and behaviors that characterize a particular group of people.

Now, think about Mableton. What do you think is Mableton’s culture? What are the shared beliefs about littering? Is it viewed as something shameful? Or is it viewed as something inconsequential?

If Mableton ever wants to see improvement to our litter problem, then there needs to be a change to Mableton’s culture regarding littering behavior. Until people feel ashamed about littering and actively discourages it, expect the litter problem to only get worse.