US cities invited to take data-driven approach to littering

“You can’t solve a problem without first understanding it,” said Litterati founder and CEO Jeff Kirschner. “These cities are taking the first step to getting to the root of their litter problem.”

In Memphis, Litterati is working with the Public Works Department after forging partnerships with Memphis non-profits CleanMemphis and Memphis Transformed. Memphis has experienced increased illegal dumping, especially during the pandemic, and the Litterati platform can inform what actions can be taken to prevent illegal dumping in the future.

“Combatting litter is a constant struggle in just about every city across the country,” said Memphis mayor Jim Strickland.

“Since I’ve been mayor, everything we do in city of Memphis government, from filling potholes to answering 911 calls, is based off data. Now, thanks to Litterati, the way we address litter will be no different.”

“You can’t solve a problem without first understanding it. These cities are taking the first step to getting to the root of their litter problem”

Norfolk wants to better understand littering on commercial corridors and actions that can be taken to reduce litter on commercial corridors.

“Litter is a global issue, impacting cities across the country,” said Norfolk mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander. “The City of Norfolk is excited to partner with Litterati to combat litter in our city, which has significantly increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data collected through Litterati will aid in ongoing public awareness, education, and grassroots efforts to create a litter-free Norfolk.”

Hayward will also take part in the project to better understand what types of single-use plastic are most littered and better inform future action on single-use plastic.

“Hayward is a data-driven city that prioritises being clean and green,” said Hayward mayor Barbara Halliday. “I’m looking forward to seeing how the City Fingerprint project can help us develop policies and practices to respond more quickly and efficiently to litter and illegal dumping hotspots.”

Litterati kicked off the project with each city this November and will continue to work with each one for the entire year to conduct four litter monitoring periods and leave each city with a final report on their litter composition and evaluation of effective prevention strategies.

Litterati plans to use these learnings internally to improve the Analyse product and continue its mission to create a litter-free world one city at a time.