# Re-Littering

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-littering/581545>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 11, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-littering/581545 "2011-05-11T18:07:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-littering/581545/1 "2011-05-11T18:07:02Z")

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If, in an area where littering is illegal, I’m walking along and stop to pick up a piece of litter am I now responsible for that material? If I, say, see a piece of paper with writing on it and pick it up out of curiosity and drop it back to the ground a moment later, am I littering?

If the answer varies on location feel free to answer for wherever you can.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\
**Post date:** [May 11, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-littering/581545/2 "2011-05-11T21:00:02Z")

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Minnesota Statutes 85:20(6):

> [@](#):
>
> No person shall drain, throw, or deposit upon the lands and waters within any unit of the outdoor recreation system as defined in section 86A.04 any substance, including cigarette filters and debris from fireworks, that would mar the appearance, create a stench, destroy the cleanliness or safety of the land,

No reference to how the person obtained the object, so it looks like the statute would apply. If you pick up litter, you have to carry it until you can put it into an appropriate trash can. (There are groups of volunteers who go to our parks or highways specifically to do this.)

Legally, I suppose you could hand a piece of litter to someone, and then it’s their problem – if they drop it on the ground & leave it, they could be charged with littering.

In practice, all I have ever seen a Forest Ranger do is tell the person to ‘pick up that trash and put it where it belongs’, and remind them of the littering law.