It's Roadside Litter Cleaning Time

It's spring and people are getting in the cleaning mood. We want our houses and yards to look nice. But have you ever considered helping to keep our roads clean? I'm an old littergitter and I look at it as great exercise that produces quick results.

I have friends that like to walk and exercise. In April 2013, we organized a litter team for our beautiful country road which is 3 ½ miles. We meet every 6 weeks, early on a Saturday morning and walk for an hour and pick up the litter. We call it a "LITTER WALK".

We have 10 volunteers on our team and usually have 7 to 9 that are available to walk. We split up into 3 groups and cover about 3 miles which is mostly farm land and pastures. We enjoy the hour of exercise, the fellowship, and we are proud of our accomplishments. This is a very dedicated team of littergitters.

I can brag that our road is one of the cleanest in our county that is located within a few miles of a county dump site for household trash.

In North Carolina, the litter pickup is contracted out by the state. Millions of dollars are spent each year on litter cleanup. The contractors work to keep the main highways clean and they are doing a great job, however the side roads are not getting much attention because they just can't do it all.

North Carolina spring "Litter Sweep" is the last 2 weeks in April, but now is a great time to get started and clean up some trash on these neglected side roads that are not high traffic areas. The grass is short which makes the litter so accessible.

When picking up litter, you really need to be cautious and safe.

Children under 12 should not be picking up litter on the roadside and youth 12 to 17 need to be under adult supervision.

Wear an orange shirt or orange safety vest, light clothing, sturdy shoes or boots, and gloves. Work in groups of no more than 5 or 6. Walk facing traffic and 5 feet from the roadside. Stay off bridges and overpasses.

Let's work together to eliminate some of the litter problem. With a reach extender and something to put the litter in, the hardest part of this exercise is getting started.

You just might be surprised at what you find.