Highway Beautification/Adopt-A-Highway - Litter Information


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Quick Litter Tips

  • Don’t litter.
  • Learn about litter so you can teach others that prevention is a wise choice to make.
  • If you see a friend litter, tell they why they shouldn’t litter.
  • If you see litter, pick it up. (Unless it is broken glass which should be swept up.)
  • Adopt-A-Highway near you. Call PennDOT to learn more about this program.


The Life Span of Commonly Discarded Litter

ItemDecomposition Time
Glass BottleApproximately 1 Million Years
Plastic 6-Pack Collar450 Years
Aluminum Can200 – 500 Years
Plastic Jug70 Years
Rubber Boot Sole50 – 80 Years
Steel Cans50 Years
Leather Up To 50 Years
Nylon Fabric30 – 40 Years
Plastic Film Canister20 – 30 Years
Painted Wooden Stake13 Years
Degradable Plastic Bag10 – 20 Years
Disposable Diapers10 – 20 Years
Wool ClothingOne – Five Years
Cigarette ButtOne – Five Years
Cotton RagOne – Five Months
Orange Peel/Banana PeelTwo – Five Weeks
Piece Of PaperTwo – Four Weeks
Traffic TicketsTwo – Four Weeks
Rolled NewspaperTwo – Six Weeks
Candy WrapperOne – Three Months
RopeThree – 14 Months