These plastic bottles don't need to be here - they can become recycled plastic picnic tables and any number of products

By Alysa Kleinman

About 270 million Americans visit national parks each year. They explore mountains and woods, see wildlife firsthand and discover culture. But along the way, they also generate 100 million pounds of trash. That's could fill quite a few recycling receptacles and park trash cans.

What can be done to solve this problem where visitors come to a park to enjoy the natural splendor but generate more than

Litter impacts property values. Add more commercial trash cans where necessary. Photo by WoodleyWonderworks - Flck

If you are a park or site facility manager who needs to justify adding more commercial trash cans or park trash cans, consider the loss in property values caused by unsightly piles of garbage.

Excessive litter is not only ugly; it will cost homeowners and businesses some major money in the long run.

According to a Keep America Beautiful study conducted in 2009, here are the indirect

How you get the public to pick up their trash and place the litter in commercial trash can

When it comes to commercial trash cans in open spaces there's an amazing paradox. People can find time to congregate in green areas or parks to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors, but when they leave, many can't seem to find the time to throw their garbage away.

For the most part, commercial garbage cans are right there. Highly visible.

So what's the thinking? Nature is nice but who wants to clean it up?

Or maybe, let the maintenance crew pick up my mess? That's what they get paid for, right?

Or, geez, I'm kind of tired from chasing a football or soccer ball all day, that big commercial garbage can over there sure seems far away.

Perhaps i

When you sell park picnic tables, park benches, bicycle racks, aluminum bleachers and