How to Reduce Litter in Your Parks

When you build a park, you envision it as a beautiful, natural space where community members can gather to relax and spend time with one another. Unfortunately, cleanliness can become a significant issue in your park over time — and litter is often the main culprit.

Putting together a plan to improve litter management and prevention can help keep your park a safe and tidy space and even encourage more people to visit. Explore our guide below for the best park maintenance and litter control ideas.

Read the full article or jump to a specific section:

• How Does Littering Affect Parks?
• Best Practices for Litter Management in Public Parks
• 1. Place Trash and Recycling Receptacles Strategically
• 2. Implement Proper Signage
• 3. Put an Emphasis on Awareness
• 4. Make Maintenance a Priority
• Miracle® Recreation Can Help You Keep Your Parks Spotless

How Does Littering Affect Parks?

The park is a place where people come to relax and reap the benefits of nature — and litter gets in the way of that. Ultimately, litter has environmental, social and economic consequences, all of which can negatively impact your park and community.

Impact of Littering on the Environment

When someone drops a plastic bottle on the ground, they might not think their actions have any effect on the environment. In reality, litter can create both water and soil pollution, directly impacting nature.

For example, litter can end up in nearby bodies of water like rivers and lakes or travel to other waterways via storm drains. When litter breaks down, particles end up in soil, potentially threatening ecosystems. Additionally, if animals ingest litter, it can lead to health hazards across wildlife species that are common in your park.

Social and Economic Costs of Litter

When a public space is unkempt and dirty, few people will want to visit it. If your park is riddled with trash and debris, you’ll likely see visitor numbers drop, which can have a negative impact on your plans to build more recreational spaces throughout your community.

Additionally, nearby businesses might partially rely on patrons stopping by on their way to the park, and fewer park visitors can turn a once bustling area into a quiet part of town. This scenario impacts businesses financially, but it also means people have less space to interact and be social as a community.

Best Practices for Litter Management in Public Parks

With a bit of planning, time and effort, you can get rid of litter in your park and take steps to ensure it remains clean and inviting for all visitors.

1. Place Trash and Recycling Receptacles Strategically

If you want people to stop littering, trash and recycling bin placement is vital. The effectiveness of trash containers comes down to where you put them. When a park only has one place to throw away trash, more people are inclined to litter because it’s convenient — leaving an empty snack bag on a table is easier than walking across the park to dispose of it properly. Similarly, not providing any way for visitors to recycle can mean more recyclable debris ends up in trash cans.

Look at your park’s layout so you can determine the most strategic spots to put trash and recycling containers. Generally, you should aim to place receptacles in the most populated places. For example, you might place them by all entrances and exits, next to and inside restrooms, and by all eating areas.

It may help to record data on where the most litter seems to accumulate. This data can also tell you what types of trash people tend to leave behind most often. With that information in mind, you can provide the right types of cans exactly where people need them.

2. Implement Proper Signage

For some people, discarding trash in garbage cans and separating litter into recycling cans is easy — others need extra reminders. Place signs throughout your park to encourage people to throw away their garbage instead of leaving it on tables and benches. Use clear, precise language to direct visitors to the right trash receptacles. Including eye-catching designs and pictures can also generate more action.

3. Put an Emphasis on Awareness

Some people simply don’t know or understand the effects litter can have on the environment and their community. As a result, they may not think twice when they leave their trash behind or toss it on the ground. Because littering comes down to a lack of personal responsibility, you have an opportunity to educate park-goers about littering, which can help them be more inclined to use trash and recycling bins as necessary.

In addition to signage about where to throw away trash, consider putting up posters that call out the consequences of littering. If your park is directly associated with a school, you might work with principals and teachers to create a program that educates students about littering and its potential environmental impacts. It may also be helpful to partner with local businesses and organizations to create community cleanup days that get people involved in beautifying the area.

4. Make Maintenance a Priority

While your park’s visitors are responsible for littering in the first place, you have a duty as the park manager to keep the space as tidy as possible. When trash cans are overflowing, people don’t have anywhere to put their waste, so it ends up on the ground. Further, failing to pick up litter inadvertently encourages more of it — a person who sees an area piled up with trash is more likely to think it’s OK for them to add to the mess. If other people have already littered, why shouldn’t they?

Assess your current park maintenance plan and the waste management options you provide visitors. Ask yourself the following questions to get a clear picture of how well your plan is working and how you can improve it:

• Are waste receptacles big enough to accommodate the number of people who visit the park?
• Should the maintenance team empty trash and recycling cans more often?
• Does the maintenance team do regular rounds to pick up litter before it accumulates?
• What else can the maintenance team do to ensure everyone can dispose of their trash properly?

Miracle^® Recreation Can Help You Keep Your Parks Spotless

As a park manager, you want to provide your community with a spotless park that helps them get outside and enjoy nature. Although litter is a common hindrance for many outdoor spaces, it doesn’t have to be for your park — the right strategies, techniques and equipment can help you keep your park clean and inviting.

At Miracle Recreation, we’re here to help you streamline your park’s waste management plan with high-quality commercial trash and recycling receptacles. Everything we do centers around helping parks and playgrounds thrive, and part of that is providing equipment that keeps your space beautiful and clean.

If you’re in need of discreet yet effective waste bins for your park, browse our selection of receptacles today. Find a Miracle Recreation representative near you to get started on improving and maintaining your park’s cleanliness!