48,538 pounds of litter removed from Tennessee roadways during No Trash November
Published 3:59 pm Monday, December 12, 2022
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More than 1,300 volunteers participated in 95 cleanups
NASHVILLE — More than 1,300 volunteers across the state removed more than 48,000 pounds of litter in their communities as part of the second annual No Trash November, a month-long initiative created to ensure Tennessee roadways are safe from the harmful effects of litter.
The initiative is spearheaded by Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) litter prevention campaign, Nobody Trashes Tennessee and in partnership with Keep Tennessee Beautiful (KTnB) affiliates and Adopt-A-Highway groups. All told, 1,316 volunteers participated in 95 cleanups, collecting 2,246 bags of litter, weighing 48,538 pounds. Special recognition was given to Keep Knoxville Beautiful for collecting 12,860 pounds of litter, as well as American Legion Camden Post and Keep Carter County Beautiful for their Adopt-A-Highway collections of more than 1,000 pounds of litter.
“Litter on our public roads is more than an eyesore. It’s an enormous burden to the state with impacts on public health and safety, the environment and the economy,” said Denise Baker, transportation program supervisor, Highway Beautification Office, TDOT. “Our No Trash November partners are passionate about keeping their communities safe, clean and beautiful and we are thrilled with their continued support for this campaign. We encourage all Tennesseans to keep up the momentum by taking personal responsibility for the litter in their own neighborhoods and by participating in local cleanups or the Adopt-A-Highway program.”
No Trash November kicked off with cleanups at Tennessee State University, AutoZone Park with 901 FC, Vanderbilt University and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Keep Tennessee Beautiful affiliates, dozens of Adopt-A-Highway groups and neighborhood groups across the state followed with their own community cleanups.
Learn more about the state’s litter reduction and education efforts and how to join the movement to end littering at NobodyTrashesTennessee.com. Two ways to get involved include the Adopt-A-Highway Program and reporting littering incidents through the Tennessee Litter Hotline (1-877-8LITTER). Join the conversation at facebook.com/nobodytrashesTN, instagram.com/nobodytrashestn, twitter.com/NobodyTrashesTN. Follow on TikTok @nobodytrashestennessee.