Groundbreaking Research and Robust Data Collection to Understand the Impact of Litter in the U.S.

Litter can have a profound impact on our communities, from affecting environmental and individual health to influencing community pride and economic opportunity. To understand the scope, causes and impacts of litter across the U.S., Keep America Beautiful (KAB) has administered comprehensive national litter studies since 1968.  

KAB selected HDR to lead a visible litter study for the 2026 National Litter Study, including comprehensive scientific research on the quantity, composition and sources of litter nationwide. In tandem, The Harris Poll conducted a public attitudes survey exploring how Americans view litter and their role in addressing it. Taken together, the two pieces of the study establish a reliable framework for measuring change, tracking progress and developing future programs to continue momentum. 

Our research for the 2026 study documents litter across roadways, surface waterways and, for the first time, coastal areas. To enable direct comparison over time, roadway and surface waterway sites first sampled in 2020 were resampled in 2025 and additional sites were included to expand geographic coverage and provide a more robust national picture. Coastal litter was sampled along the Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of America and Great Lakes, adding a critical new dimension to understanding how litter affects environments across the U.S.

We led fieldwork at 700 randomly selected sites across the U.S. and developed scientific data-collection methodologies that used representative, replicable processes. To analyze the information, our team designed and implemented a modern data science code-based approach to conduct the statistical analysis. Findings were summarized in visual charts and summaries, revealing patterns and trends in litter.

At each sampling site, litter was categorized into 115 product categories. Each piece of litter was also assigned to a source. Additional data was collected on the environmental conditions and context in which litter was found. An understanding of the type, location and likely sources of litter, as well as influencing factors, enables KAB to propose future solutions.

The 2026 study showed litter along America’s roadways and surface waterways declined by 34% since 2020, marking measurable progress. However, an estimated 35 billion pieces of litter remain across the nation’s roadways, waterways and coastal areas on any given day. 

With scientific research in hand, KAB is equipped to make informed decisions on developing education and programs that drive behavior change, systems that make proper waste disposal and prevention an easy choice, and collaboration among communities, businesses and governments to reinforce and scale effective solutions.