Litter | Parish Proud

WHAT IS LITTER?

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.

Litter is Costly

In Louisiana, an estimated $91.4 million in taxpayer dollars are spent each year on litter removal, abatement, education, and enforcement.

Litter is Harmful

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.

Litter is Illegal

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.

Parish Proud volunteers in Downtown Lafayette

Report Litter and Illegal Dumping

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.

Everyday Tips

Bag your trash, tie the bag tight, and cover your bin to prevent your trash from entering the environment and harming wildlife.
Keep a bag in your vehicle for garbage and dispose of your trash properly when you get home.
Get a travel ashtray to keep cigarette butts off our roadways.
Check the bed of your truck to ensure it’s free of trash and debris that could fly out and become litter.
When transporting large items, secure your load with tarps, nets, or tie-downs.
Whether you are hiking or boating, keep a bag with you for trash. Take out what you brought in, and always leave it better than you found it.
When you see litter in your neighborhood, pick it up with gloves or grabbers. You can also organize a litter cleanup or volunteer for one in your community.
Use a reusable grocery bag to reduce the number of plastic bags that become litter.
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Troop Buckets: Empowering Everyday Stewards

At Parish Proud, we believe that keeping Acadiana clean isn’t just a once-a-year effort, it’s a year-round opportunity for anyone to make a difference. That’s why we created Troops Buckets, a simple, accessible program that empowers residents to take action whenever and wherever they see a need.

Get Your Troop Bucket Today!

What are Troops Buckets?
Troops Buckets are community cleanup kits stocked with everything you need to make an impact:

Litter grabbers (sticks)
Safety Vest
Litter bags

These buckets are available year-round, giving individuals, families, and small groups the flexibility to conduct their own cleanups on their own schedule—no formal event required.

How It Works

Getting involved is easy:

Grab a Troops Bucket from a designated location
Clean up a space in your neighborhood, park, or along a roadway
Snap a photo and submit a quick report of your efforts
Get recognized on Parish Proud’s social media channels

Why It Matters

Troops Buckets turn everyday residents into active stewards of our community. By removing barriers to participation, this program builds a culture of ownership, pride, and environmental responsibility—one cleanup at a time.

Whether you have 15 minutes or a few hours, Troops Buckets make it easy to contribute to a cleaner, more beautiful Acadiana. Together, we’re not just picking up litter—we’re building a stronger sense of place and community pride.