The General Assembly finds that in order to create and maintain a healthful, clean and beautiful environment, it is necessary to implement a comprehensive litter control program that will serve to collect and remove litter and supplement recycling programs designed to process discarded packaging materials as well as other energy rich components of solid waste and to establish a program under the responsibility of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection to reduce litter and littering and to recover and recycle waste materials with the consequent conservation of resources designed to promote and maintain the environmental quality and the economic productivity of the state, and the public health and welfare of its citizens.