Originally Posted by
Northwestrider
Littering IMO is a matter of education, period. If someone I know throws something away carelessly I don't try to educate directly, rather I'll casually pick up the item and place it in my bag or in a trash container. After a very short time, those involved usually end up disposing of their unwanted items correctly. jayp410 mentioned France, I'm currently in Germany for 3 days, it also has the appearance of being spotless. Are Europeans more caring of the environment than we are? I doubt it. I just think they are taught more clearly than we are of the consequences of tossing their trash along the roadside. To the OP, thanks for the post, IMO it educates..
Education, culture, values, and/or economy... they are hard to separate, but it's some combination of those factors. There are certain regions of the U.S. that are much better about clean roads than others. Not to pick on any state, but I've spent a lot of time in rural Maine (because I love it there) and enough time in parts of rural WV (because it's close). Both states have beautiful natural features, and both states have their share of poverty and rusty old cars, but when it comes to trash on the roadside the difference is night and day. I would call Maine pristine as well.