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Who created the idea of litter – and why? Play this month's Throughline history quiz.

NPR | By Peter Balonon-Rosen,

Anya Steinberg, Alyson Hurt

Published April 19, 2024 at 3:01 AM EDT

There's more plastic waste in the world than ever. So, where did the idea come from that individuals, rather than corporations, should keep the world litter-free?

History doesn't have to be boring. In fact, it can be very entertaining – and quite trashy.

Litter-ally.

There is more plastic waste in the world today than ever. The responsibility for keeping the environment clean often falls on individuals instead of manufacturers. But, why us? Test your knowledge here and listen to our episode about litter – and how individual Americans became responsible for cleaning up companies' messes.