The amount of litter and illegal dumping above the baseline may go unchecked unless periodically assessed for things such as an increase in frequency, geographic scope, or volume. Simple visual monitoring can identify problem areas before the accumulation of litter or illegally dumped material. Roadside litter surveys indicate the amount of litter present in the environment. The fresh litter measuring method is more labor intensive since the sites must be cleared and recleared. Fresh litter measurements vary greatly since fewer litter items are counted.
Many states trying to meet litter reduction goals often conduct annual roadside litter surveys.
To compare data collected in annual surveys, standardized litter items must be identified. Pilot studies conducted for Florida identified 72 categories of large litter and 14 for the small litter categories. Large litter is surveyed over a 200 foot long site and small litter is surveyed on three sectors of each site. Fully characterizing the litter or illegal dumping problem will facilitate the decisionmaker's crafting and evaluation of possible response options. Identify the types of items littered or illegally dumped.