Pick it up, take it to the nearest garbage with a specially installed ultraviolet light to find out. About one in a thousand pieces of litter are actually planted by the city and feature invisible ink that spells out a serial number and: "Congratulations! You've won $100!" when exposed to a black light attached under the rim of special garbage cans placed around the area. Take it to any local merchant who's signed on to pay off these things (they'll get a nominal fee) and get your cash. Not a winner? Drop it in the can anyway and better luck next time.-- doctorremulac3, Jun 03 2005 But the "planters" would have to be disguised to prevent people following them around, and then they could fall prey to over-jealous litter wardens.-- coprocephalous, Jun 03 2005 I was thinking about that. What a fun job! Different disguise every day, different characters. Your only mission, to go out and throw garbage around without getting found out.-- doctorremulac3, Jun 03 2005 No not old money, nouveaux reek.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jun 04 2005 sounds amazing, just so long as the council don't get greedy and start putting the prize winning codes on really icky things that no-one would pick up.-- kaz, Jun 05 2005 Feed winning tokens to stray dogs.-- wagster, Jun 05 2005 With this, I'd happily toss litter out the window, knowing I was helping the poor...-- ldischler, Jun 05 2005 //With this, I'd happily toss litter out the window, knowing I was helping the poor...//
This is why we can't have nice things, ldischler.
[+]-- Blumster, Jun 05 2005 //With this, I'd happily toss litter out the window, knowing I was helping the poor...//
Why not? Just flip it out with the cigarette butt why don't ya?-- reensure, Jun 05 2005 Better check that crinkled croissant wrapper on the ground, ~/)?[+]#_-- swimswim, Dec 06 2011 Every 100th dog turd contains a £1 coin...-- hippo, Dec 06 2011 You're not factoring in that some dogs eat dog turds. That could mean that some turds could contain several coins.-- rcarty, Dec 06 2011 A good proportion of litter already has a barcode on it. How about a lottery based on that? Then you'd avoid having to print and plant special litter.
Since all the barcodes on a given product are the same, the winning numbers would have to be valid for one time only (at any particular collection point), and then changed.
The winning numbers could be skewed, to promote the collection of certain types of litter.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 06 2011 That's pretty darned clever.
Here's what the cynic in me sees happening though with my idea and / or your added idea:
1- Somebody proposes to actually do this.
2- The city lawyers demand a full environmental impact statement, of proof that all people engaged in this program are licensed sanitation engineers. Since it's got the word "Lottery" in it the state commission for lotteries and gaming demand the license fees and bonds be paid up front as well as expenses for the committee to investigate the organization putting on the program. Then the local sanitation engineer's union sues to have at least 20% of the proceeds from the program be put towards union dues since this is clearly a sanitation labor issue.
3- Then the politicians get involved.
The Democrats put out a public service spot saying "Dr Remulac 3 and his crony Max Buchanan have a little plan to side step the child labor laws and put children to work picking up garbage so they can line their already bloated pockets." (cut to picture of two devils lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills while whipping children pulling their chariot".
The the Republicans put out there add. "Well the socialist big government types are at it again. They've got a way to fix the economy. Let's scoop up garbage in the street so we can gamble in the lottery! What's next? Digging ditches for crack cocaine?"
That being said, it's a pretty darned clever idea.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 06 2011 //Dr Remulac 3 and his crony Max Buchanan//
*ahem*. Might I draw your attention to the fact that your present interlocutor crones for no man.
As for the political/health-n-safety stuff... the older I get, the more I see it as a viable alternative to just say (if I may quote my great-step-aunt Radnor) fuck'em.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 06 2011 Didn't think you'd like the "crony" rank. At least it's one notch up from "henchman" which was my first choice. I didn't even consider "minion".
Your Aunt Radnor was an eloquent lady. Shakespeare couldn't have said it better himself.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 06 2011 She wasn't actually a lady, but thanks.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Dec 06 2011 //feed winning tokens to stray dogs//
I already bunned the idea, but that was the evil, devious icing, I think.-- Zimmy, Dec 07 2011 Speaking on behalf of the moderators: Where are these ditches that need digging? [Jutta]'s supply is running low.-- methinksnot, Dec 08 2011 You only have to convince people there are prizes to be had. You don't really have to put out any special litter.
After the next election there will be time to spread the seeds.
=====
Mcdonalds has sort of just done this. Most of their trash with a M logo on it had little lottery tickets on it. Lasted a couple weeks. No doubt some folks scavenged dumpsters, trash cans, and litter for the tiny tickets. But once you have the ticket, it is real easy to drop the litter right back where you found it.-- popbottle, Dec 21 2014 // A good proportion of litter already has a barcode on it. ... //
If anything with a barcode on it would be a lottery ticket that people wouldn't drop their litter in their garbage cans anymore but instead carry it to town hall to win the price. This could do away with the need for municipal garbage collection altogether. But I doubt that it would be environmentally cleaner or more resource-efficient than a central collection system.
How could it be verified that the lottery litter is genuine litter dumped on the street by someone else?-- Toto Anders, Dec 22 2014 Since we’re having lottery day, one of two litter lottery ideas.-- doctorremulac3, Dec 27 2023 random, halfbakery