The annual expense of managing litter on Saxony's roads totals a staggering one million euros, as revealed by the Saxon State Office for Road Construction and Transport. This substantial sum is primarily attributed to the unlawful disposal of waste by individuals, either left carelessly on the roadside or tossed out of vehicle windows.
In the past year, 2022, waste disposal on state roads alone cost approximately 450,000 euros, while on federal roads, the cost surpassed half a million euros, reaching nearly 600,000 euros. The previous year, 2021, saw even higher expenses, with state roads costing 600,000 euros and federal roads needing 650,000 euros for litter waste management. These figures encompass the expenditures of the ten Saxon districts' road maintenance departments but exclude the expenses of the independent cities of Chemnitz, Dresden, and Leipzig.
Despite the significant financial burden, intentional littering continues to exacerbate this environmental issue, contributing to overall budget constraints and negatively impacting the environment's health.
Detailed costs for litter waste management in other regions may be sourced from local and national government reports, environmental agencies, or specific studies related to those areas. In the United States, for instance, research has been conducted on litter waste management costs associated with the Scenic City Certification Program in Texas.
