how can we stop people from littering?

Answer 1

The government could always impose heavier fines, but there is not a policeman or warden on every corner. It has to come from inside. The home could play a very important part here, and probably the schools as well, telling children of the consequences of littering -- what it will do to our planet.

Answer 2

I think the only way to actually do it is conditioned response through negative feedback - IE immediate public scolding (tried it, it works). Failing that, perhaps rather than a fine IF they are caught, 2000 hours of community service for each instance of littering doing litter cleanup. Failing that, perhaps a neighborhood trash dump in the offenders living room. Failing that (which I don't condone ethically or morally), immediate public beatings.

That's how people are - if someone litters or whatnot, they already show that doing the 'right' thing as decided by society is not a form of positive feedback. If you can't get someone to do the 'right' thing just because, the only alternative is to make it more costly to do the wrong thing. Fines don't seem to be working very well as a deterrent.

The real question is how far does one go before the moral problem trying to be solved is eclipsed by the method of solving it? Littering is a problem, but how far do we want to go to solve it? Before you say as far as it takes, are you really sure about that?

Answer 3

Drastically increase the penalties for littering (e.g., very stiff fines). Money is the only thing people seem to understand or respond to.

Answer 4

there's not much we as individuals can do to stop littering, only not to litter ourselves. But the only real power to do something lies within the government.

Answer 5

http://www7.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0702/index.html
http://www.wwf.org.uk/core/index.asp

Buy fining very heavily, or throwing rubbish into their homes!!