Trash Psych 101: What Will it Take to Reduce Litter in the Subway?

The MTA removes about 40 tons of trash from the subway system every day. And for the past five years, it tried to train New Yorkers to quit littering on the tracks and take their trash to go. At 39 stations, the agency removed trash cans altogether to reduce the chances of all kinds of littering, accidental and intentional.

But after mixed results, the agency has decided to end the pilot program.

WNYC delved into our trash habits and asked: Was the MTA on to something? Does taking away trash cans increase our sense of personal responsibility not to litter? We spoke to Dr. Wesley Schultz, a social psychology professor at California State University who's studied littering behaviors for 25 years, about whether we're destined to commute in our own filth. (Hint: he's an optimist!)

And check out this Public Service Announcement from the 1970s, aimed at shaming subway litterers. Tell us below, which one are you: the subway litterer or the bystander who speaks up (or stares down)?