Litter Prevention

Litter in Texas is a big problem, and we’ve been hard at work researching the cost of litter in Texas.

Litter Facts

Litter in Texas is a big problem, and we’ve been hard at work researching the cost of litter in Texas. Using everything from behavior and attitude studies to visible litter studies, we’ve been collecting data (and litter) to best assess how to approach the problem head-on and determine the most effective methods to end litter in Texas forever.

  1. 1 in 4 Texans admits to littering in the past year.
  2. Approximately 435 million pieces of visible litter accumulate on Texas roadways each year.
  3. The most common forms of litter are food/organic material, cigarette butts, and small pieces of paper—receipts, gum wrappers.
  4. 71% of litter consists of microlitter that is not easily seen on roadways, such as cigarette butts, straws, and gum wrappers.
  5. Tobacco trash is the most common form of litter found on Texas roadways.
  6. You can be fined $500 every time you litter in Texas. And, if what you toss weighs more than 5 pounds, you may have to pay up to $2,000.
  7. Tire debris is the second largest component of litter and is pervasive across all areas of Texas.
  8. If every person in Texas picked up just two pieces of trash every month, our highways would be completely litter-free in just one year.
  9. 62% of Texas smokers admit to tossing their cigarette butts out of the window of their cars. Please keep your butts in the vehicle at all times. Thanks.
  10. Litter is trash that is not disposed of properly in a trashcan. Apple cores are litter too!

Resources

Adopt-A-Campus

The Adopt-A-Campus program has been established to help implement a recycling system in our local schools.


  2. Adopt-A-Nonprofit

  3. Adopt-A-Block
    Keep Odessa Beautiful invites all of our citizens in our community to Adopt-A-Block.


  5. Adopt-A-Highway
    Keep Odessa Beautiful has partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation in the Adopt-a-Highway program.


  1. Adopt-A-Spot

    The Adopt-A-Spot Program is established for groups who want to maintain and beautify a particular area including roadways, alleys, or open areas.


  2. Planet Troopers

    Planet Troopers engages local youth to help pick up litter in Odessa.