The United States alone throws away 195 million tons of trash per year, that’s 4.5 pounds of trash per person per day. Not all of it ends up properly disposed of. People litter, trash trucks lose it, wind blows it, and the water transports it. Smokers are major contributors to the littering problem in the U.S. Tobacco waste, including cigarette butts, accounts for 38% of all litter found along roadways and at transition points, such as outside buildings. Food wrappers, paper bags, cardboard boxes, newspapers and scrap paper make up 22% of the litter that’s currently out there, with plastics landing in third place at 19%. While littering can occur accidentally, it’s most often a deliberate act. Approximately 81% of littering is done with intent, either by someone dropping, flicking or flinging the piece of trash in question. This leads to one big problem, 80% of plastic and trash pollution enters the ocean from land-based sources, resulting in 9 billion tons of litter in the ocean every year.

If we can inspire 1% of the U.S. population to get involved, that’s approximately 3 million people a day. Equaling approximately 1.1 billion pieces of trash per year removed.