The 2023 Louisiana Litter Study reveals Louisiana taxpayers are paying more than $91 million annually on litter abatement, a 65 percent increase since 2010. Keep Louisiana Beautiful Director Susan Russell says unfortunately most of that money is going towards cleaning up the state instead of getting residents to stop trashing the state.
“The vast majority of that money is spent on removal and remediation and not on enforcement, prevention, and education which would bring about the permanent changes that we need to prevent litter long term.”
Research shows there were over 143 million pieces of litter on Louisiana roadways with interstates being the most littered type of roadway. Nearly 54 percent of motorists were the source of highway litter, followed by unsecured loads at 17 percent.
Most Louisianans support a 50-cent to two-dollar fee for cleanup and prevention. Russell says 74 percent of all littering across the Bayou State takes place at outdoor events.
“We love our outdoor events, our fairs, our festivals, our parades. So when we asked people, we learned that they litter at outdoor events there’s either no trash cans, the trash cans are not properly placed and aren’t close by or the trash cans are overflowing.”
According to the survey, 92 percent of Louisianans believe litter is a problem. To help tackle the ongoing litter issue, Russell urges residents to get involved.
“It’s as simple as making sure your garbage bags and your household trash are tied tightly. It’s as simple as a business making sure they keep their parking lots cleaned. There are so many ways this can be approached.”
The full report can be found at KeepLouisianaBeatiful.org.
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