April 25, 2007
Opinion
Tennesseans have had enough of littering
By EDITH W. HELLER
Tennessee, like every state in America, has a littering problem.
People cause litter and people can prevent litter. Twenty years ago, Transportation's Litter Grant Program collected 189,000 tons of litter statewide annually. In the past few years, the annual litter collected was 13,000 tons. Good litter reduction, but it is still too much litter!
Tennesseans are frustrated and angry about the litter. The Department of Transportation and Keep Tennessee Beautiful have responded with the new campaign, "Stop It, Stop Litter, Tennessee's Had Enough." This award-winning ad campaign includes TV spots targeted to prime litterers (males ages 16–34), outdoor advertising, radio public-service announcements and grass-roots action.
The www.stoplitter.org Web site receives thousands of hits each month. The state has established a toll-free number, 1-877-8LITTER, to report highway littering. The Adopt-A-Highway program is gaining new adopters each month. The 25 Keep America Beautiful affiliates had 316,000 volunteers working on litter prevention and beautification last year. This year, all 95 counties are participating in "The Great American Cleanup" in Tennessee. We anticipate more than 2,000 events and more than 150,000 volunteers by the end of May. Nearly 70,000 students were taught litter prevention, recycling and proper waste handling last year. Overall, 25 percent of Tennessee's population participated in events, attended workshops, and volunteered to keep Tennessee beautiful last year.
What does this mean? Tennesseans have had enough with litter and are ready for action.
Education, enforcement
In an April 2006 statewide survey, 97 percent of respondents said legal penalties would stop them from littering, but only 3 percent believed litter laws were enforced all the time. Right now, a litter law reform proposal is being considered by the legislature (HB1877 and SB1265) that will make it easier and more efficient for our police officers to enforce the law. Readers should encourage its passage.
The Tennessee 2006 Visible Litter Survey (R.W. Beck, February 2007) reports that urban freeways have the highest litter count (5,100 pieces per mile) while rural local roads had the least (700 pieces per mile). This speaks well of the TDOT Litter Grant Program for rural road collection and countywide litter prevention education. The survey further said 29.8 percent of roadside litter was deliberate (thrown out) and 70.2 percent was negligent (blown from trucks). Continued education and new, strong enforcement plans are vital for a cleaner future.
Each person must take personal responsibility for litter. Tire shreds are prevented with proper tire inflation. Cigarette butts go into a pocket ashtray or in an ash receptacle. Fast-food packaging should be taken to a trash receptacle. Trucks should secure loads with tarps, ties, straps or covers. Cans and plastic bottles should be taken to recycling bins. Tops down and doors closed on Dumpsters. If you see litter, pick it up. If you see littering, report it.
Thank you for hating litter and loving Tennessee.
