To combat the ever increasing amount of litter plaguing the roads, the Tennessee Department of Transportation teamed up with several other organisations to clear the streets of Tennessee during the month of November, in an effort to ensure Tennessee roadways are safe from the harmful effects of rubbish.
A 2016 study revealed that despite seeing a drop in roadside littering, there are still over 100 million pieces of litter on the states roadways at any given time. To combat this the Tennessee Department of Transportation spent over $19 million per year on preventing littering and education the community, as well as removing over 11,573 tons of litter each year across the state. By bringing awareness to residents, they hope that there will be an increased drive and conscious effort when it comes to litter management.
In order to combat this, over 1,000 volunteers participated in the most recent state clean-up, including student athletes, coaches and other residents from across the state, with a total of 56 clean-ups. In total, there were 2,180 bags of litter and 2,501 pounds of large items. The original goal was 20,000 pounds worth of litter, however the initiative exceeded that target by a long-shot, doubling the achieved amount to over 46,000 pounds.
Shawn Bible, Manager,of TDOT Highway Beautification Office stated:
“We are beyond thrilled to have more than doubled our goal and are grateful to our many partners and volunteers that held cleanups in their communities during No Trash November as we continue to strive for a litter-free Tennessee.”