Keep America Beautiful is a nonprofit organization founded in 1953. It is the largest community improvement organization in the United States , with more than 700 state and community-based affiliate organizations and more than 1,000 partner organizations.
109-812: Keep America Beautiful aims to end littering , to improve recycling , and to beautify American communities. The organization's narrow focus on littering and recycling has been criticized as greenwashing in that it diverts responsibility away from corporations and industries. Keep America Beautiful was founded in December 1953 by the American Can Company and the Owens-Illinois Glass Company . Keep America Beautiful conducted many local PSA campaigns early in its history. One of these early campaigns in Pennsylvania ( PennDOT ) some attribute to having coined
218-408: A 10-minute visit with Senator Nelson (which stretched into two hours). Hayes returned to Harvard with the charter to organize Boston. After a few days of reference checks, he was asked to drop out of Harvard to become executive director of the national campaign. Because of the non-hierarchical tenor of the times, Hayes suggested that people be designated coordinators rather than directors. He became
327-413: A Native American man devastated to see the destruction of Earth's natural beauty caused by the thoughtless pollution and litter of a modern society. In 1976, Keep America Beautiful introduced its "Clean Community System", which encouraged local communities to prevent litter through education efforts, public service advertising, local research, the mapping of litter "hotspots", and cleanup activities. During
436-462: A consumer created problem, is seen as an attempt to divert an extended producer responsibility from the industries that manufacture and sell disposable products to consumers who improperly dispose of the non-returnable wrappers, filters, and beverage containers. Elizabeth Royte , author of Garbage Land , describes Keep America Beautiful as a "masterful example of corporate greenwash", writing that in contrast to its anti-litter campaigns, it ignores
545-410: A day reviewing the letters Senator Nelson had received, and discovered that very few were from college students. Most were from women who appeared to be college-educated homemakers who wanted to do something to improve the world for their children. Another large share was from K–12 teachers. Hayes decided to shift the campaign's focus from colleges and universities to community organizing. Building off
654-745: A difference in the composition of street litter and stormwater litter. Increasingly, there have been efforts to use technology to monitor areas prone to dumping. In Japan, a study used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map areas of dumping based on site characteristics. Another study used satellite images to detect possible illegal dumping sites. Container deposit legislation can be aimed at both reducing littering and also encouraging picking up through local recycling programs that offer incentives, particularly for aluminium cans , glass bottles and plastic bottles . In New York, an expanded bottle bill that included plastic water bottles increased recycling rates and generated 120 million dollars in revenue to
763-447: A far-reaching decision. In those early days, it would have been easy to obtain trademark protection for Earth Day and force compliance with a set of standards by anyone using it. Hayes decided, however, that he wanted the name to be broadly used by anyone who planned to focus on environmental issues that spring. Although "Earth Day" swiftly replaced Environmental Teach-in, the second problem proved more complicated. College activists, for
872-511: A fire if it strikes litter such as a paper bag or cardboard box. Litter can be hazardous to health. Debris falling from vehicles is an increasing cause of automobile accidents . Discarded dangerous goods , chemicals , tires, sharps waste and pathogens resulting from litter can cause accidental harm to humans. Litter also carries substantial cost to the economy. Cleaning up litter in the US costs hundreds of dollars per ton, about ten times more than
981-521: A grassroots approach to organizing and relied largely on locally based groups like the National Toxics Campaign, a Boston-based coalition of 1,000 local groups concerned with industrial pollution. Earth Day 1990 employed strategies including focus group testing, direct mail fundraising, and email marketing. The Earth Day 20 Foundation highlighted its April 22 activities in George, Washington , near
1090-643: A line to ensure that no litter is missed. Organizations may promote litter cleanup events and may also have separate media campaigns to prevent littering. In North America, Adopt a Highway programs are popular, in which companies and organizations commit to cleaning stretches of road. Keep America Beautiful has held litter cleanups called the Great America Cleanup since 1998 in over 20,000 communities nationwide. Earth Day cleanups have been held globally since 1970. In 2019, Earth Day Network partnered with Keep America Beautiful and National Cleanup Day for
1199-458: A national teach-in is held." Senator Nelson went on to encourage teach-ins at many more speeches. A November talk at Airlie House had a New York Times reporter in the audience. The resulting front-page article was a turning point. Letters of inquiry from across the country began to pour into Nelson's Senate office. The article piqued the interest of Denis Hayes, then a graduate student at Harvard. Hayes traveled to Washington, D.C., and arranged
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#17328584566741308-682: A network of organizations. In addition to KAB's certified affiliates, the organization partners with other groups to expand its reach. These include multiple state recycling organizations, Boys & Girls Clubs of America , Hands on Network and the Points of Light Institute, the Arbor Day Foundation , Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, National CleanUp Day , Ocean Conservancy , Sustainable Urban Forests Coalition, EARTHDAY.ORG , and Take Pride in America, among others. Scouting Keep America Beautiful Day
1417-484: A new organization, Environmental Action, with a tax status that permitted lobbying and a more activist stance. EA immediately confronted a problem that had been looming in the background throughout the campaign. Some of the staff had been drawn to the movement through science and culture and felt that politics was inherently dirty and government was irredeemably compromised. This group believed that by living lives of voluntary simplicity, employing tools like those that filled
1526-636: A period of several months with Congressman Pete McCloskey (R-CA) to consult on the creation of the National Environmental Policy Act , the first of many new environmental protection laws sparked by the national outcry about the blowout/oil spill and on the Declaration of Environmental Rights. Both McCloskey (Earth Day co-chair with Senator Gaylord Nelson ) and Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes , along with Senator Alan Cranston , Paul Ehrlich , David Brower and other prominent leaders, endorsed
1635-604: A period of substantial environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Superfund, Toxics Substances Control Act, and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. It had seen the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the banning of DDT and of lead in gasoline. Jimmy Carter was president. The 1980 Earth Day effort
1744-658: A piece of paper, tin or something, on the street behind". Young people from 12 to 24 years cause more litter than the average (Dutch or Belgian) person; only 18% of people who regularly cause litter were 50 years of age or older. However, a 2010 survey of littering in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont in the United States, placed litterers aged 55 and over at less than 5%. The same observational study estimated that 78% of litterers are male. Litter organizations, such as Keep America Beautiful affiliates, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful , and
1853-481: A progressive wedge issue that would position him as clearly distinct from President Nixon's ultra-conservative "Southern Strategy," in a struggle for the soul of the Republican Party. He became fully engaged in supporting the event, and he delegated many of the talented young staff who had been drawn to his administration to help as well. "The big break came when Mayor Lindsay agreed to shut down Fifth Avenue for
1962-509: A reaction to this disaster, activists were mobilized to create environmental regulation, environmental education, and Earth Day. Among the proponents of Earth Day were the people in the front lines of fighting this disaster, Selma Rubin , Marc McGinnes , and Bud Bottoms, founder of Get Oil Out. Denis Hayes , organizer of the first Earth Day, said that Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired to create Earth Day upon seeing an 800-square-mile (2,100 km ) oil slick from an airplane in
2071-472: A response to the costs of dropping materials at designated sites: some of these charge a fee for depositing hazardous material. Lack of access to nearby facilities that accept hazardous waste may deter use. Additionally, ignorance of the laws that regulate the proper disposal of hazardous waste may cause improper disposal. According to a study by the Dutch organization VROM, 80% of people claim that "everybody leaves
2180-452: A special location rather than sent to landfills with regular refuse. Household hazardous waste includes paints and solvents , chemicals , light bulbs , fluorescent lights , spray cans, disposable batteries , and yard products such as fertilizers , pesticides , herbicides and insecticides . Additionally, medical waste generated at home is considered a hazardous waste and must be disposed of properly. Earth Day Earth Day
2289-433: A vehicle, in which the vehicle owner is fined - reported by either responsible officer or third party, sometimes online. Specific legislation exists in the following countries: Many groups exist with the aim of raising awareness and run campaigns including clean up events. In the United States there are a number of organizations running anti-litter campaigns. Keep America Beautiful was founded in 1953, and promulgated
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#17328584566742398-494: A vehicle. Teach-ins had been held on hundreds of college campuses to debate the war in Vietnam . They generally reflected the divide between those who thought of Vietnam as a bulwark to stop additional countries falling to communism like dominos , versus those who believed that the war was the latest stage of a nationalist, anti-colonialist campaign by Vietnamese who had fought against China, then France, Japan, France again, and now
2507-527: A verb: to litter means to drop and leave objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans , paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles on the ground, and leave them there indefinitely or for other people to dispose of as opposed to disposing of them correctly. Large and hazardous items of rubbish such as tires , electrical appliances , electronics , batteries and large industrial containers are sometimes dumped in isolated locations, such as national forests and other public lands. Litter
2616-583: A young activist, Denis Hayes , to be the National Coordinator. Nelson and Hayes renamed the event "Earth Day". Denis and his staff grew the event beyond the original idea for a teach-in to include the entire United States. Key non-environmentally focused partners played major roles. Under the leadership of labor leader Walter Reuther , for example, the United Auto Workers (UAW) was the most instrumental outside financial and operational supporter of
2725-493: Is a problem in their community, roadside litter is down 54% in the last ten years and there are approximately 50 billion pieces of litter on the ground in the United States. In concert with the study's release, Keep America Beautiful launched their hashtag #152AndYou on Earth Day representing that if all individuals picked up 152 pieces of litter, there would be no litter on the ground until someone littered again. Keep America Beautiful distributes programming and materials through
2834-428: Is a type of human impact on the environment and remains a serious environmental problem in many countries. Litter can exist in the environment for long periods of time before decomposition and be transported over large distances into the world's oceans. Litter can affect the quality of life . Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the world, with an estimated 4.5 trillion discarded each year. Estimates of
2943-514: Is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection . First held on April 22, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by EARTHDAY.ORG (formerly Earth Day Network) including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. In 1969 at a UNESCO Conference in San Francisco , peace activist John McConnell proposed a day to honor the Earth and
3052-503: Is best known for its "Crying Indian" public service advertisement (PSA) which launched on Earth Day in 1971 and for its annual America Recycles Day . The advertising campaign has been widely credited, including in Frank Lowenstein's "Voices of Protest", with inspiring America's fledgling environmental movement. In 2021, Keep America Beautiful released a comprehensive litter study. Its study concluded that 90% of Americans agree litter
3161-414: Is collected can be recycled ; however, degraded litter cannot be recycled and eventually degrades to sludge , often toxic. The majority of litter that is collected goes to landfills . Litter can have a detrimental impact on humans and the environment in different ways. Hazardous materials encapsulated within tires and other items of illegally dumped rubbish can leach into water sources, contaminate
3270-565: Is performed on foot using simple hand tools. A worker will walk the sidewalks, parking lot and landscape and sweep up litter material into a litter collection tool. Contents are emptied into a waste bin on job site. In Kiwayu, a Kenyan island, some of the collected litter (flip-flops) is used to make art, which is then sold. Litter traps can be used to capture litter as it exits stormwater drains into waterways. However, litter traps are only effective for large or floating items of litter and must be maintained. A recent watershed litter survey showed
3379-455: The Columbia River with a live satellite phone call with members of the historic Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb who called from their base camp on Mount Everest to pledge their support for world peace and attention to environmental issues. The Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb was led by Jim Whittaker , the first American to summit Mt. Everest (many years earlier), and marked
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3488-474: The Hot Country Songs chart dated May 5, 1990. As the millennium approached, Hayes agreed to spearhead another campaign, this time focusing on global warming and pushing for clean energy . The April 22 Earth Day in 2000 combined the big-picture feistiness of the first Earth Day with the international grassroots activism of Earth Day 1990. For 2000, Earth Day had the internet to help link activists around
3597-634: The western world are capable of generating larger quantities of litter per capita due to a higher consumption of disposable products . A number of credible studies have shown that fast food packaging is one of the most common forms of litter, while McDonald's is the most common brand of litter, despite having messages to dispose of it properly, such as the Ronald McDonald "tidy man" marking. According to Keep Britain Tidy in 2013, Cadbury chocolate wrappers, Walkers crisp packets and Coca-Cola cans were
3706-506: The 2005 documentary film Gone Tomorrow. The Hidden Life of Garbage and book of the same name, classifies Keep America Beautiful as one of the first greenwashing corporate fronts. She asserts that the group was created in response to Vermont's 1953 attempt to legislate a mandatory deposit to be paid at point of purchase on disposable beverage containers and banning the sale of beer in non-refillable bottles. Keep America Beautiful's narrow focus on litter, and its characterization of litter as
3815-733: The Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association, have focused educational efforts on youth littering. Negligent or lenient law enforcement contributes to littering behavior. Other causes are inconvenience, entitlement and economic conditions. A survey of dumping in Pennsylvania found that the largest number of illegal dumps were in townships without municipal trash hauling. The same report also cites unavailability of curbside trash and recycling service, shortage of enforcement, and habit as possible causes. The presence of litter invites more littering. The two-stage process model of littering behavior describes
3924-525: The Declaration and spoke about it at the Environmental Rights Day conference. According to Francis Sarguis, "the conference was sort of like the baptism for the movement." According to Hayes, this was the first giant crowd he spoke to that "felt passionately, I mean really passionately, about environmental issues." Hayes also thought the conference might be the beginning of a real movement. Nash, Garrett Hardin , McGinnes and others went on to develop
4033-696: The Earth Day Ad providing the donor's name and address. Larry Rockefeller persuaded Robert Rauschenberg to create and donate a batch of Earth Day lithographs, but the Earth Day staff lacked contacts in the art world who were able to sell them for their $ 2,000 market value, so they were provided to donors for much less. The sale of standard posters and especially pins brought in additional revenue. The staff refused to sell bumper strips because they would be attached to cars. The staff of Environmental Teach-In resigned immediately after Earth Day, and most moved directly to
4142-692: The Environmental Action newsletter emphasized the need for broad structural change, interest in the event began to mount among college student activists. One place where the interest in a teach-in was robust from the beginning was the University of Michigan . The first teach-in on the Vietnam War had been held at the University of Michigan in March 1965, and a group of students, led by Doug Scott, decided to mark
4251-513: The House, the odds were long. To improve the odds, the group selected candidates who not only had lousy environmental records—which were plentiful—but who also had won their most recent race by a narrow margin; who were on the wrong side of an important environmental issue in their districts; and who lived in areas where talented Earth Day organizers resided. In the end, seven of the original Dirty Dozen were defeated—five Republicans and two Democrats. And
4360-586: The National Science Teachers Association to enlist their members; he provided materials to thousands of educators who wrote to the group directly; and he distributed the most creative ideas he received from anyone to everyone else. In April, more than 10,000 primary and secondary schools engaged in Earth Day activities, mostly education and service actions like beach clean-ups, tree planting, and recycling. Walt Kelly created an anti-pollution poster featuring his comic strip character Pogo with
4469-526: The Robert Kennedy, Gene McCarthy, and various congressional campaigns before Earth Day. They believed that lasting progress could only come through institutional change. The year 1970 was a congressional election year. They had just organized the largest demonstration in the nation's history to support environmental values. Former Lindsay organizer, Steve Haft, summed up this faction's attitude at an Environmental Action staff meeting, "We had 20 million people in
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4578-505: The Santa Barbara Channel. On the first anniversary of the oil blowout, January 28, 1970, Environmental Rights Day was created, and the Declaration of Environmental Rights was read. It had been written by Rod Nash during a boat trip across the Santa Barbara Channel while carrying a copy of Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence. The organizers of Environmental Rights Day, led by Marc McGinnes , had been working closely over
4687-468: The UAW also funded telephone capabilities so that the organizers could communicate and coordinate with each other from all across the United States. The UAW also financed, printed, and mailed all of the literature and other materials for the first Earth Day and mobilized its members to participate in the public demonstrations across the country. According to Denis Hayes, "The UAW was by far the largest contributor to
4796-560: The United Auto Workers (UAW) since 1946, and he was a progressive supporter of civil rights, opposed the war, and championed the environment. He was a founding member of the Coalition for Clean Air, which successfully lobbied for the Clean Air Act of 1970. Walter Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers, made the first donation to support the first Earth Day in the amount of $ 2,000 (equivalent to $ 15,692 in 2023). Under his leadership,
4905-404: The United States. These debates elevated arguments over the war in the public consciousness and enlisted a generation of student activists. Nelson asked public interest lawyer Anthony Roisman to establish a non-profit, Environmental Teach-In, Inc., to manage the campaign, and recruited a small board of directors. He asked Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey to co-chair the board to ensure it
5014-410: The air causing respiratory illnesses. Additionally the residue left behind can harm the soil and leach into groundwater. Visual pollution is a major effect of litter. Open containers such as paper cups, cardboard food packets, plastic drink bottles and aluminum drinks cans get filled up with rainwater, providing breeding locations for mosquitoes . In addition, a spark or a lightning flash can start
5123-406: The announcement of "Ecology Day," "Environment Day," "Earth Day," and "E Day." Koenig said that his personal favorite was Earth Day – in part because April 22 happened to be his birthday, and "birthday" rhymes with "Earth Day." Hayes immediately agreed. Koenig offered to prepare a fully refined ad. Hayes insisted that it include a small coupon soliciting funds for the threadbare operation. Koenig's ad
5232-475: The best local leadership in major metropolitan areas. For instance, Hayes flew to Chicago to help organize a subtle coup, replacing a pro-business Earth Day organization with a Saul Alinsky affiliated group called Campaign Against Pollution. CAP abruptly shifted the focus away from recycling to focus on two issues: opposition to a massive proposed freeway program, the Crosstown Expressway , and protesting
5341-587: The best possible anchor for national coverage from their reporters throughout the country. U.S. Senator Edmund Muskie was the keynote speaker on Earth Day in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. Other notable attendees included consumer protection activist and presidential candidate Ralph Nader , landscape architect Ian McHarg , Nobel prize-winning Harvard biochemist George Wald , U.S. Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott , and poet Allen Ginsberg . The 1970s were
5450-601: The bins are not emptied regularly, then the bins will overflow and can increase litter indirectly. Some local authorities will only take responsibility for rubbish that is placed in the bins, which means that litter remains a problem. People may blame a lack of well-placed bins for their littering. Hazardous materials may often be incorrectly disposed of in the bins and they can encourage dumpster diving . Volunteers, sometimes alone or coordinated through organizations, pick up litter and dispose of it. Clean up events may be organized in which participants will sometimes comb an area in
5559-411: The brochure were requested within four months. In 1971, on Earth Day , a new campaign was launched with the theme "People Start Pollution. People Can Stop It." In what later became known as the "Crying Indian" PSA, the television ad, narrated by actor William Conrad with Peter Sarstedt 's instrumental "Overture" playing in the background, featured Italian-American actor Iron Eyes Cody , who portrayed
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#17328584566745668-427: The community either physically or financially." In January, 2021, Keep America Beautiful merged with RETREET, which focuses on post-disaster tree planting. Keep America Beautiful's actions have been criticized as greenwashing . The organization's narrow focus on littering and recycling diverts responsibility away from corporations and industries. Despite self-identifying as having Native American ancestry with
5777-406: The concept of "teach-ins" had become passé. Moreover, teach-ins generally involved debates, and no one was pro-pollution. Second, and more troubling, leading activists on college campuses were deeply involved in the anti-war and civil rights movements. They tended to view the environment as a distraction. The solution to the first problem came from an unexpected direction. Shortly after the turn of
5886-474: The concept of peace, to first be observed on March 21, 1970, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. This day of nature's equipoise was later sanctioned in a proclamation written by McConnell and signed by Secretary General U Thant at the United Nations. A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to hold a nationwide environmental teach-in on April 22, 1970. He hired
5995-608: The cost of trash disposal, with a cost totaling about $ 11 billion per year. Animals may get trapped or poisoned with litter in their habitats. Cigarette butts and filters are a threat to wildlife and have been found in the stomachs of fish , birds and whales , who have mistaken them for food. Also, animals can get trapped in the rubbish and be in serious discomfort. For example, the plastic used to hold beverage cans together can get wrapped around animals' necks and cause them to suffocate as they grow. Other instances where animals could be harmed by litter include broken glass lacerating
6104-527: The different ways in which people litter. The model was proposed by Chris Sibley and James Liu and differentiates between two types of littering: active and passive. The theory has implications for understanding the different types of litter reduction interventions that will most effectively reduce littering in a given environment. The theory states that, all things being equal, passive littering will be more resistant to change because of two psychological processes: 1. diffusion of responsibility that increases as
6213-440: The end, the national staff had a hard time merely keeping up with the colleges that called to register events. The delicate line straddled by organizers was to attract seasoned activists who would demand far-reaching change without alienating the middle class whose active participation and political support were seen as essential. The greatest environmental insults were visited on the poor. Factories and power plants were located in
6322-533: The environment for over a million years. About 18 percent of litter, usually traveling through stormwater systems, ends up in local streams, rivers, and waterways. Uncollected litter can accrete and flow into streams , local bays and estuaries . Litter in the ocean either washes up on beaches or collects in ocean gyres such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch . About 80 percent of marine debris comes from land-based sources. Some litter that
6431-554: The environmental issues that the world faces. On Earth Day 2020, over 100 million people around the world observed the 50th anniversary in what is being referred to as the largest online mass mobilization in history. On January 28, 1969, a well called Platform A, drilled by Union Oil 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Santa Barbara, California , blew out . More than 3 million U.S. gallons (2.5 million imperial gallons; 11 million liters) of oil spilled, killing more than 10,000 seabirds, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. As
6540-615: The event. A giant cheer went up in the office on that day," according to Kristin Hubbard (now Kristin Alexandre ). "From that time on we used Mayor Lindsay's offices and even his staff. I was Speaker Coordinator but had tremendous help from Lindsay staffer Judith Crichton." Mayor Lindsay completely closed down Fifth Avenue to traffic from E. 14th Street to West 59th Street (Central Park)—more than 2 miles—and 14th Street between 3rd and 7th Avenues. An estimated one million participants took part—right in
6649-682: The famous 1968 Earthrise NASA photograph of the Earth from the Moon, the saturation news coverage given to the Santa Barbara oil spill and the Cuyahoga River catching fire in early 1969 led Nelson to think the time was ripe for an environmental initiative. As a result of interactions with his staff and with Fred Dutton , a prominent Democratic operative who had been Robert Kennedy's presidential campaign manager, Nelson became convinced that environmental teach-ins on college campuses could serve as such
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#17328584566746758-409: The financially strapped group. But Hayes declined the check, convincing the board that it would destroy the credibility of the nascent organization. He said that he would be delighted to accept money from clean sources, but no other corporate money was ever raised for the national organization. Individual donations were a significant source of funding, generally accompanied by a contribution slip from
6867-578: The first Earth Day" and "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!" Hayes further said, "Walter's presence at our first press conference utterly changed the dynamics of the coverage—we had instant credibility." At a meeting of the Environmental Teach-In board of directors, the finance committee chair arrived with a check for $ 20,000 (equivalent to $ 156,915 in 2023) from Standard Oil of New Jersey (now ExxonMobil). That would have provided an effective measure of financial relief for
6976-468: The first Earth Day. According to Hayes: "Without the UAW, the first Earth Day would have likely flopped!" Nelson was later awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom award in recognition of his work. The first Earth Day was focused on the United States. In 1990, Denis Hayes, the original national coordinator in 1970, took it international and organized events in 141 nations. On Earth Day 2016,
7085-459: The first time in history that mountaineers from the United States, Soviet Union , and China had roped together to climb a mountain, let alone Mt. Everest. The group also collected more than two tons of trash (transported down the mountain by support groups along the way) that was left behind on Mount Everest from previous climbing expeditions. The master of ceremonies for the Columbia Gorge event
7194-537: The first to fall was George Fallon, chairman of the hugely powerful House Public Works Committee. Representative Pete McCloskey, Earth Day co-chair, credits the Dirty Dozen's defeat of key congressional leaders with the unstoppable wave of environmental legislation that immediately followed: the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, and others. As the tone of major planned Earth Day activities shifted to become less academic and more confrontational, and
7303-530: The first undergraduate Environmental Studies program of its kind at the University of California at Santa Barbara. The seeds that grew into the first Earth Day were planted by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson . An ardent conservationist and former two-term governor of Wisconsin, Nelson had long sought ways to increase the potency of the environment as a political issue. The extraordinary attention garnered by Rachel Carson 's 1962 book, Silent Spring ,
7412-527: The five-year anniversary with an environmental teach-in on March 11–14, 1970. The Michigan teach-in presented a series of speeches dealing with various environmental problems, along with some debate over the best tactics and solutions. No one, including the president of Dow Chemical, argued for more environmental destruction. After the University of Michigan teach-in, there was an explosion of interest on other college campuses. Upwards of 2,000 universities, colleges, and junior colleges ultimately put on events. By
7521-466: The group were Fred Kent , Pete Grannis , and Kristin and William Hubbard. This group agreed to head up the New York City activities within the national movement. Fred Kent took the lead in renting an office and recruiting volunteers. The liberal Republican mayor of New York, John Lindsay, saw the environment as an issue that could help unite his then-troubled city. Moreover, he viewed the environment as
7630-882: The growing amount of waste generated in the United States, the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965 was enacted. In 1976 the Federal government amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act, creating the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), which requires a "cradle to grave" approach to the proper handling of potentially hazardous materials. RCRA gives authority to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate and enforce proper hazardous waste disposal. Many countries now have laws that require that household hazardous waste be deposited in
7739-499: The height of the campaign, it received over 2,000 letters a month from people wanting to join their local programs. In 2023, Keep America Beautiful began its "Do Beautiful Things" podcast series hosted by Jenny Lawson, the organization's president and CEO. It covers policies, behaviors, and business solutions that can help create more sustainable communities. By featuring expert interviews and discussions it aims to educate and provide practical sustainability tips. Keep America Beautiful
7848-419: The inaugural nationwide Earth Day CleanUp. Cleanups were held in all 50 States, 5 US Territories, 5,300 sites and had more than 500,000 volunteers. Commercial properties such as retail, office and industrial have litter picking maintenance programs. This service may be provided by property owners or contracted to various service providers by property management companies acting on owner's behalf. Litter picking
7957-605: The landmark Paris Agreement was signed by the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and 120 other countries. This signing satisfied a key requirement for the entry into force of the historic draft climate protection treaty adopted by consensus of the 195 nations present at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. Numerous communities engaged in Earth Day Week actions , an entire week of activities focused on
8066-453: The latency between when an individual places litter in the environment and when they vacate the territory, and 2. forgetting, which is also more likely to occur at longer delays between when an individual places litter in the environment and when they vacate the territory. Litter can remain visible for extended periods of time before it eventually biodegrades , with some items made of condensed glass, styrofoam or plastic possibly remaining in
8175-407: The mid-to-late 19th century, sanitation was not a government priority. The growing piles of waste led to the spread of disease. Anti-littering legislation seems to have existed in ancient Greece , as is evidenced by a road marker discovered on the island of Paros , bearing the inscription "whoever drops their litter on the street owes 51 drachmae to whoever wishes to claim them" . To address
8284-432: The most part, viewed anything other than ending the war as a distraction. A majority of the Earth Day staff had cut their teeth as organizers against the war and saw no conflict. The war appeared to be winding down, and they felt it was prudent to start paying attention to the far more profound changes needed to produce a healthy, sustainable America. But time was short, and college activists were not responding. Hayes spent
8393-459: The national coordinator, and he quickly hired various regional coordinators, a press coordinator, a K–12 coordinator, a volunteer coordinator, etc. At its peak, the national office had a few dozen paid staff, each earning a flat $ 375/month (equivalent to $ 3,116 in 2023), plus more than 100 regular volunteers. As the talented regional coordinators fanned out across the country, however, they immediately encountered two problems. First, by 1970,
8502-509: The nerve center of the nation's communications complex. In addition to shutting down Fifth Avenue , Mayor John Lindsay made Central Park available for Earth Day. In Union Square , the New York Times estimated crowds of up to 20,000 people at any given time and, perhaps, more than 100,000 over the course of the day. Since Manhattan was also the home of NBC , CBS , ABC , The New York Times , Time , and Newsweek , it provided
8611-420: The nonprofit Earthday.org (formerly Earth Day Network). According to Denis Hayes, the first Earth Day 1970 organizer and current Board Chair Emeritus of Earthday.org, Earth Day is now "the largest secular day of protest in the world, and more than a billion people participate in Earth Day actions every year." By far the largest source of funding for the first Earth Day was organized labor. Walter Reuther had led
8720-598: The original founder of Earth Day, was honorary chairman for both groups. The two did not combine forces over disagreements about leadership of combined organization and incompatible structures and strategies. Among the disagreements, key Earth Day 20 Foundation organizers were critical of Earth Day 1990 for including on their board Hewlett-Packard , a company that at the time was the second-biggest emitter of chlorofluorocarbons in Silicon Valley and refused to switch to alternative solvents. In terms of marketing, Earth Day 20 had
8829-631: The ozone layer, organic food, whales and endangered species, oil spills, the military use of Agent Orange in Vietnam, overpopulation, peeling lead paint in ghetto housing, opposition to the supersonic transport, and myriad other topics. At one event, college students would pound an automobile apart with sledgehammers, or, wearing gas masks, would block traffic on a freeway. At other events, grade-school students would plant trees, pick up litter in city parks, or identify birds. Earth Day welcomed them all. Regional coordinators focused heavily on finding and enlisting
8938-426: The paws of dogs , cats , and other small mammals. Organic litter in large amounts can cause water pollution and lead to algal blooms . Cigarettes could also start fires if they are not put out and then discarded in the environment. Litter is an environmental concern in many countries around the world. While countries in the developing world lack the resources to deal with the issue, consumer-based economies in
9047-486: The poorest neighborhoods. Freeways were plowed through the poorest neighborhoods. Toxic waste dumps were situated in the poorest neighborhoods. But these problems tended not to affect the middle class. The solution was to promote an overarching concern with air and water pollution, which affected everyone, while encouraging each community to pay attention to whatever other issues were of most concern to it. Earth Day included events that focused on fighting freeways, protecting
9156-621: The popular "Do the Right Thing" campaign and its Tidy Towns competition became well known being a very competitive expression of civic pride. Keep Britain Tidy is a British campaign run by the Keep Britain Tidy environmental charity, which is part funded by the UK government. Throughout human history, people have disposed of unwanted materials onto streets, roadsides, in small local dumps or often in remote locations. Prior to reforms within cities in
9265-582: The potential of recycling legislation and resists changes to packaging. The tobacco industry developed programs with Keep America Beautiful that focused on cigarette litter solutions acceptable to the industry such as volunteer clean-ups and ashtrays, in lieu of smoking bans at parks and beaches. The tobacco industry has funded Keep America Beautiful and similar organizations internationally. Littering Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The word litter can also be used as
9374-412: The quotation " We have met the enemy and he is us " to promote the 1970 Earth Day. Environmental groups have sought to make Earth Day into a day of action to change human behavior and provoke policy changes. On the first Earth Day an estimated 20 million Americans took part in rallies, marches, and teach-ins calling for environmental reform. Earth Day is now observed in 192 countries, and coordinated by
9483-520: The required time for cigarette butts to break down vary, ranging from 5 to 400 years for complete degradation. In addition to intentional littering, almost half of litter on U.S. roadways is now accidental or unintentional litter, usually debris that falls off improperly secured trash, recycling collection vehicles and pickup trucks. Population levels, traffic density and proximity to waste disposal sites are factors known to correlate with higher litter rates. Illegally dumped hazardous waste may be
9592-441: The resolutely-nonpolitical Whole Earth Catalog , they could force the world to adapt to them. Their theory of change was modeled loosely on the southern African Americans who sat at segregated lunch counters, drank from segregated lunch counters, and sat in the front of the bus, it ignored the role of strategic litigation federal legislation , and electoral politics in cementing lasting change. Other staff members had worked in
9701-551: The road. In the Netherlands, the amount of litter has dropped considerably since the new law was implemented, and 95% of the plastic bottles are now recycled. According to Chris Snick, the revenue that can be obtained from waste picking can be financially profitable in countries where container deposit legislation has been introduced: in 1 hour he managed to pick up 108 cans and 31 plastic bottles, earning him 13.90 euro (€0.10 per can/plastic bottle). By comparison, in countries where only
9810-688: The soil and pollute the air. Tires are the most often dumped hazardous waste. In 2007 the United States generated 262 million scrap tires. Thirty-eight states have laws that ban whole tires being deposited in landfills. Many of these discarded tires end up illegally dumped on public lands. Tires can become a breeding ground for insect vectors which can transmit disease to humans. Mosquitoes , which breed in stagnant water, can transmit West Nile virus and malaria . Rodents nest in accumulated tires and can transmit diseases such as Hantavirus . When tires are burned, they can smolder for long periods of time, emitting hundreds of chemical compounds that pollute
9919-529: The stage name of Iron Eyes Cody , Espera Oscar DeCorti was of Italian descent. This sparked accusations of cultural appropriation and racial stereotyping . In February 2023, the Keep America Beautiful organization transferred ownership of the ad's copyright to the National Congress of American Indians , who intend to restrict use of the ad to only historical purposes. Heather Rogers, creator of
10028-479: The state General Fund from unclaimed deposits in 2010. In some countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, container-deposit legislation has been introduced on cans and plastic bottles. Parts of Belgium are also considering adopting such legislation. People can thus collect refund value money from this type of waste. The result of this is that in Germany, hardly any cans or plastic bottles can still be found along
10137-457: The streets in an election year, and you plan to sit out the election? Are you nuts?" To square the circle, Hayes proposed that the group not endorse any candidates but that it try to defeat 12 of the worst. If having a terrible environmental record became a political liability, it would inevitably lead to better environmental legislation. Haft was selected to coordinate the Dirty Dozen campaign. With just $ 50,000 to defeat 12 incumbent members of
10246-569: The successful strategies of the anti-war movement and the civil rights movement, he decided to promote large urban rallies, focused on major environmental issues, while also encouraging environmental education at the K–12 level. Bryce Hamilton, who had been Midwest coordinator, was shifted to K–12 coordinator, and it proved to be a great choice. Hamilton reached out to the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and
10355-462: The term " litterbug ," although the National Council of State Garden Clubs representative exhibited a "litter bug" emblem at the first Keep America Beautiful organizational meeting. Author and Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland president Alice Rush McKeon published "The Litterbug Family" in 1931 containing poems and illustrations about the problem of roadside litter. Others report, however, that
10464-628: The term was coined by Paul B. Gioni, a copywriter in New York City who originated it for the Ad Council in 1947. Keep America Beautiful joined with the Ad Council in 1961 to popularize the idea that individuals must help protect against the effects litter has on the environment. Gioni came up with the 1963 television campaign theme "Every Litter Bit Hurts." Another campaign in 1964 featured the character Susan Spotless. In 1970, Keep America Beautiful began distributing free brochures. More than 100,000 copies of
10573-430: The three top brands that were the most common pieces of rubbish found in UK streets. Public waste containers or street bins are provided by local authorities to be used as a convenient place for the disposal and collection of litter. Increasingly both general waste and recycling options are provided. Local councils collect the waste and take it for reuse or recycling. However, there are some problems with this approach; if
10682-405: The uncontrolled air pollution Commonwealth Edison was pouring into Chicago's air—more sulfur pollution than all other companies combined. Although mailings went out to thousands of communities of all sizes, the campaign focused especially hard on large cities. In the winter of 1969–1970, a group of students met at Columbia University to hear Denis Hayes talk about his plans for Earth Day. Among
10791-487: The upcoming event. The ad generated more than enough revenue to repay its cost, and thousands of potential organizers sent in their names and addresses along with their checks. In future months, magazines and alternative newspapers ran the ad for free, generating still more names and more financial support. The national office started using Environmental Action, rather than Environmental Teach-in, on its letterhead and publications to promote Earth Day. At this point, Hayes made
10900-468: The value of the aluminum for example would be refunded, 139 cans would yield only 1.72 euro (0.0124 euro per can; assuming there is 15 grams of aluminum in a can, and with scrap aluminum valued at 0.8267 euro/kg ). Some countries and local authorities have introduced legislation to address the problem. Actions resulting in fines can include on-the-spot fines for individuals administered by authorised officers in public or on public transport or littering from
11009-570: The way for the 1992 United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. Unlike the first Earth Day in 1970, this 20th Anniversary was waged with stronger marketing tools, greater access to television and radio, and multimillion-dollar budgets. Two separate groups formed to sponsor Earth Day events in 1990: The Earth Day 20 Foundation, assembled by Edward Furia (Project Director of Earth Week in 1970), and Earth Day 1990, assembled by Denis Hayes (National Coordinator for Earth Day 1970). Senator Gaylord Nelson ,
11118-539: The word litterbug , coined by its partner the Ad Council in 1947. At least 38 states have high profile, government-recognized slogan campaigns, including Don't Mess with Texas ; Let's Pick It Up New York; Don't Trash California; Take Pride in Florida; Keep Iowa Beautiful. In Australia, Clean Up Australia Day is supported by many major Australian companies, firms and volunteers alike. Anti-litter organizations include " Keep Australia Beautiful ", founded in 1963. It created
11227-559: The world. By the time April 22 came around, 5,000 environmental groups worldwide were on board, reaching out to hundreds of millions of people in a record 184 countries. Events varied: A talking drum chain traveled from village to village in Gabon , Africa, for example, while hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., US. Google's first Earth Day doodle
11336-482: The year, Julien Koenig stopped by the national offices and volunteered to help. Koenig was a Madison Avenue giant. His campaign for Volkswagen, "Think Small," was later cited by Advertising Age as the "greatest advertising campaign of the 20th century." Over coffee, Hayes confided that the "teach-in" moniker was not working and asked whether Koenig had any ideas. Koenig asked for a few days. A week later, he returned with an assortment of mock-ups for ads, laid out around
11445-422: Was bipartisan and bicameral. On September 20, 1969, Senator Nelson first announced his plans for an "environmental teach-In" in a little-publicized talk at the University of Washington. "I am convinced that the same concern the youth of this nation took in changing this nation's priorities on the war in Vietnam and on civil rights can be shown for the problem of the environment. That is why I plan to see to it that
11554-525: Was first cosponsored by Keep America Beautiful and the Boy Scouts of America in 1971 as a national cleanup and recycling program. Keep America Beautiful also co-sponsors the "Keep America Beautiful Hometown USA Award" with the Boy Scouts of America that boy scouts can earn by completing a non-paid, community service project, with the approved scout project being designed to "help keep America beautiful and benefit
11663-538: Was led by Mike McCabe and Byron Kennard, and the general mood was festive and celebratory. The principal Washington, D.C., event was a festival held in Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House. Mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries and lifting the status of environmental issues onto the world stage, Earth Day activities in 1990 gave a huge boost to recycling efforts worldwide and helped pave
11772-805: Was the TV star, John Ratzenberger , from Cheers , and the headlining musician was the "Father of Rock and Roll", Chuck Berry . Warner Bros. Records released an Earth Day-themed single in 1990 entitled "Tomorrow's World", written by Kix Brooks (who would later become one-half of Brooks & Dunn ) and Pam Tillis . The song featured vocals from Lynn Anderson , Butch Baker , Shane Barmby, Billy Hill , Suzy Bogguss , Kix Brooks, T. Graham Brown , The Burch Sisters , Holly Dunn , Foster & Lloyd , Vince Gill , William Lee Golden , Highway 101 , Shelby Lynne , Johnny Rodriguez , Dan Seals , Les Taylor , Pam Tillis, Mac Wiseman , and Kevin Welch . It charted at number 74 on
11881-474: Was visually arresting, and perfectly summed up the issues and values, the feisty-but-welcoming tone that the campaign had adopted. Hayes loved it and decided to bet the farm. He committed about half of all the money in the campaign's bank account to buy a full page in the Sunday New York Times opinion section. The ad was a huge success. Overnight, "Earth Day" became the almost-universally-used name for
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