More than 2 million pounds of litter removed from NC’s roads in 2021, NCDOT says

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — More than two million pounds of litter have been collected from roadsides this year, the North Carolina Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

The trash was collected as part of the state’s litter removal efforts that included NCDOT crews, contractors and volunteers.

“NCDOT and our partners have been working tirelessly over the past three months to remove litter from roadsides,” said state Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette in a news release. “But there’s a lot more work to do and we could certainly use help from citizens who can do their part by disposing of trash properly or volunteering during our upcoming Spring Litter Sweep.”

Approximately 2.15 million pounds of litter has been removed by the NCDOT and its partners since Jan. 1. Of that total, 976,000 pounds of trash has been removed from roadsides since March 1, the NCDOT said.

If you would like to help keep North Carolina’s roads clean, you can volunteer for the upcoming Spring Litter Sweep from April 10-24.

According to the NCDOT, “Litter is unsightly, costs millions of dollars to clean up and can hurt the environment, tourism and the state’s quality of life.”

The NCDOT is encouraging everyone to do their part to keep litter off our roads by:

• Securing their loads before driving. Unsecured trash can fly from a vehicle and end up as roadside litter.
• Holding onto trash until it can be disposed of properly. Keep a litter bag in your vehicle so you can properly dispose of trash later.
• Recycling when possible. Recycling protects the environment, saves landfill space and keeps the community clean.

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