PHL Bumps Up to #3 Spot, USA Biggest, Most Waste Littered CITIES

by STEVE SPACEK American State Litter Scorecard

March 25, 2025

The American State Litter Litter Scorecard, an USA-based, anti-litter, non-profit advocacy group, has increased the unabated waste litter "threat" level for Pennsylvania's largest community for 2025, said its Director, STEVE SPACEK. With more populous HOUSTON seeing far more recent, widespread, aggressively effective public spaces waste cleanups, PHILADELPHIA was bumped up by the Scorecard to an unpleasant moniker--America's Third Biggest Most Waste Littered City. With only Los Angeles and New York City having far worst unabated, Big City-style urban waste conditions.

Since 2015, U.S. Cities with over 375,000 persons were selected for this "Trashiest Big Cities" honor using data culled from the Census Bureau, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), municipalities themselves and reports by Busy Bee Cleaning and TRAVEL+LEISURE and Forbes magazines. Two Northeast cities chosen-- Philadelphia and New York City -- have witnessed non-stop, above national average litter attributed deaths every year for the last eight years, Spacek said.

Spacek said most waste litter deaths in Philadelphia County, encountered by pedestrians and motorists, are attributed in Law Enforcement Reports to discards thrown by Construction and Landscape Workers, Cigarette/Vape Smokers and Young Persons Ages 16-25. These are among America's PROFILED LITTERERS, groups that time and time again are prone, willing to Litter and Dump wastes anytime, anywhere, as determined from findings of over 5 decades of litter studies by all 50 States.

"It's plain to see Philadelphia County/City has become a big-time hygiene and safety failure to citizens and taxpayers alike. Filthy public spaces are improperly or never cleaned. Miles of sidewalks, parks, even abandoned train tracks, are laden with garbage, obstructing needed walking space for pedestrians and the handicapped. Support to encourage recycling thrown-away items is lackluster, both from local officials and the Statehouse at Harrisburg. Sadly, this so-called "City of Brotherly Love" appears willing to be pay horrific prices for intentionally harming brothers and sisters, not truly embracing the green movement, allowing senseless and preventable injuries and deaths," Spacek said.

The Scorecard recognizes PENNSYLVANIA in 2025 as (easily) the BIGGEST POPULATED Most Waste Littered State on the East Coast. Pennsylvania in 2023 had the 3rd highest statewide total of Litter/Dumping attributed deaths, according to NHTSA stats obtained by Spacek--over 55 persons KILLED. While LITTER DEATH LEADERS California (with 116) and Texas (with 105) and most states outside Pennsylvania seeing reduced deaths in 2023. "These life-ending incidents with unfixed objects such as solid waste can occur anytime and anywhere, under all types of weather," according to director Spacek.

Website: litterscorecard.com

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