UK compared to USA

We have recently returned from a holiday in Georgia and South Carolina, USA, and could not help noticing how clean and litter-free all the roads were there (urban and rural), compared to here in the UK. Some counties do have "adopt-a-road" schemes whereby businesses or organisations pay to keep a stretch of road clean. In the rural south-east such schemes were the exception, but still the roads were litter-free.

Why is it that the UK, basically a very law-abiding nation, seems happy to break the law when it comes to litter? What could or should be done to change people's habits?* Or must we just accept that the situation is hopeless, and pay people to pick up our rubbish for us?

Unfortunately the state of local authority budgets, now and in the future, means that things are likely to get worse rather than better.

* A recent letter in the Press suggested that one approach might be for all school children to spend time litter-picking in a designated area near their school – perhaps this would make them appreciate the efforts of those whose job it is to keep the streets clean, and think twice before adding to the litter themselves?