Spring is a time of renewal after a long, cold winter. Our lawns become green again, leaves return to trees and flowers bloom. It’s the annual cycle of life.

But something else — far more unpleasant — is revealed when the snow disappears every year.

Litter.

Our roads, streets and highways are, well, littered with detritus. Plastic bags, fast-food refuse, plastic bottles and beer cans are almost everywhere. Sometimes, the garbage includes discarded tires, appliances and other unsightly junk that people no longer need or want.

So they get rid of it by taking the path of least resistance — our cities, neighborhoods and countryside be damned.

There has to be a better way to get rid of this stuff than simply chucking it out a car window or pulling off the side of the road and unloading it in a ditch or in the woods.

It is said that common sense and good manners cannot be legislated, but we shouldn’t have to put up with scofflaws who have no regard for anyone but themselves and are all too willing to turn Ohio into a dumping ground.

That’s why littering is illegal. It is a misdemeanor, punishable by fines of up to $500 and as many as 60 days in jail. The Ohio Department of Transportation reminds drivers that they can be charged or ticketed for any litter released by any passengers in their vehicles.

But as most of us can see in our daily travels, those penalties don’t deter everyone. According to the ODOT website, the agency spends approximately $10 million every year battling litter along Ohio’s roads and highways.

As ODOT mentions, all that money goes toward a problem that is entirely preventable. It doesn’t matter if it’s a cigarette butt or a mattress — litter is ugly and those who engage in trashing Ohio are reprehensible.

Clean up your act, scofflaws. You might not get pinched by law enforcement today or tomorrow, but if you’re a habitual offender, your luck will run out sooner or later.

When it does, we hope you’re held to account to the fullest extent of the law. In fact, we encourage Ohio legislators to consider even harsher penalties for littering.