Personally, I became a "volunteer caregiver" to these woods I live near and frequent, well, frequently. I use quotes because it's a position I created :) Initially I spent hours and hours, several different days, hiking around the area with a grocery bag, and making trips to a trash can each time the bag filled up.

Sometimes I would doubt myself - "Is picking up this little fragment of paper/plastic really going to make a difference? Won't there just be more next time?"

Well, I'm proud to say that it has made a difference. Now I rarely stumble across any trash at all in 'my' woods, and the items are so few and far between that I don't need to carry bags anymore. Just toss the occasional can/bottle/whatever in my backpack and keep grooving :)

After noticing the difference in those woods, I've made it a priority to never ignore litter that I see out in the world, if it's possible to remove it on my own. Walking through the park and see an empty chip bag or candy wrapper? Pick it up and put it in the next trash can. It doesn't seem like much, but every single piece of trash that you pick up is one piece of litter in your area. I know it's a very small difference. But, a difference none the less.