The fundamental problem here is that many people are pigs.  They throw things "away." Plastic straws get thrown "away."  Cigarette butts get thrown "away."  "Away" is where the rest of the responsible people find things that were thrown "away"  and need to be picked up and disposed of responsibly. 

Not long ago I was driving on Goodpasture Island Road and watched car load of  20-something girls in front of me toss two bags of McDonald's refuse out the window.  To them, it was gone and had been thrown "away."

Pigs.