Litter can include paper, fast food wrappers, beverage cans, Styrofoam, cardboard, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, tire parts, plastic bags, clothing, and even biodegradable items. When not disposed of properly, your trash adds to Louisiana’s litter problem.
In Louisiana, an estimated $91.4 million in taxpayer dollars are spent each year on litter removal, abatement, education, and enforcement.
Litter is harmful to Louisiana’s wildlife, but it also poses a danger to our residents. Litter creates potential road hazards. It clogs drainage systems, which contribute to flooding. It can also create a breeding ground for mosquitos.
The penalties for littering in Louisiana range from $150 to $10,000 and include the possibility of community service, a one-year driver’s license suspension, and even 30 days of jail time.
To help reduce litter in Lafayette Parish, residents can now report litterbugs through the Lafayette 311 website or by calling 311 (select option 3). Operation Neaux Throw is aimed at drivers who toss trash, cigarette butts, or any type of litter out a car window. You can also report illegal signage.
Before reporting on residents should gather as much information as possible when witnessing someone intentionally littering — date, time, the vehicle’s color, make, model, and license plate. Unintentional littering, such as trash flying out of a truck bed, is still considered littering.
Online reporting also allows for reporting litter spotted in the community which will be scheduled for pickup through the Lafayette Sheriff’s Department Inmate Detail.
Through a Healthy Communities Grant from Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB), Parish Proud has created Troop Buckets, which will be distributed by One Acadiana through the KLB Clean Biz Program!
The Troop Buckets will include essential items such as Litter Grabbers, Reflective Vests, Trash Bags, and Gloves. Thanks to the generous support of KLB, each bucket will also include a new flag, serving both as a safety measure and a symbol of community pride.
Join the growing number of businesses that are keeping Lafayette clean by becoming a Clean Biz parnter.
If you are interested in taking the Clean Biz pledge and acquiring a Troop’s Bucket, contact us today!
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