‘PA Fights Dirty’: State launches anti-litter campaign
news@greenecountymessenger.com
Take a drive along one of Pennsylvania鈥檚 roadways, or walk outside a stadium or ball park following an event, and it鈥檚 likely you鈥檒l see trash 鈥� plastic bottles, fast-food bags, cigarette butts, beer cans, and much more.
There is a lot of litter on Pennsylvania鈥檚 roadways 鈥� an estimated 500 million pieces, according to research by the state鈥檚 Department of Environment Protection, Department of Transportation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
It鈥檚 a problem the commonwealth aims to solve.
The Wolf administration recently joined representatives from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to announce the launch of the statewide anti-litter campaign, 鈥淧A Fights Dirty: Every Litter Bit Matters.鈥�
The campaign calls upon Pennsylvanians to be responsible that every piece of their trash, regardless of size, is disposed of properly.
The campaign is based on research that shows only 3% of Pennsylvanians approve of littering, but 40 to 50% litters.
The goal of 鈥淓very Litter Bit Matters鈥� is to educate Pennsylvanians on situational littering, such as leaving trash on the ground next to a full can or in a stadium, and to remind Pennsylvanians that litter of all sizes stacks up and creates problems.
鈥淟itter isn鈥檛 just ugly to look at. It can cause environmental contamination and put public health at risk,鈥� said Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. 鈥淟itter can leach chemicals into our land and water, and act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes that carry West Nile Virus.鈥�
PA Fights Dirty was developed as part of the Wolf administration鈥檚 Litter Action Plan and in response to the 2019 Pennsylvania Litter Research Study, which found Pennsylvania has approximately 502.5 million pieces of litter on its roadways.
More than 85% of these pieces are less than four inches in size. 鈥淓very Litter Bit Matters鈥� encourages Pennsylvanians to properly dispose of even their smallest pieces of trash.
Cleaning up isn鈥檛 just about protecting health and improving aesthetics and pride.
The cost to clean up is high, an estimated $350 million each year.
鈥淎s we work hand-in-hand with local community leaders, they frequently mention the challenges they face with litter 鈥� a challenge that impacts property values, business attraction, quality of life, health, and so much more,鈥� said state Department of Community and Economic Development Acting Secretary Neil Weaver. 鈥淏y preventing littering from occurring, we are saving communities valuable time and money in litter removal.鈥�
Cecil Township Manager Don Gennuso said any efforts to tackle the state鈥檚 litter program, including 鈥淧A Fights Dirty,鈥� is welcome.
鈥淚t is very important to address that problem; it鈥檚 something our public works employees have to deal with,鈥� said Gennuso. 鈥淎ny program that would address (litter) is a positive.鈥�
Pennsylvania State Police also discussed their efforts to enforce litter laws.
From Jan. 1 through June 30, state police issued 661 citations and 562 warnings in enforcing anti-littering laws.
鈥淭he Pennsylvania State Police is committed to keeping Pennsylvania beautiful by enforcing the state鈥檚 litter laws,鈥� said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Robert Evanchick. 鈥淟ittering is 100% preventable with fines beginning at $300. The public is encouraged to report any litter violation they witness by contacting their local law enforcement agency.鈥�
The event also featured the state鈥檚 Young Ambassadors Program, a new partnership with PennDOT and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. The program 鈥� which is now accepting applications 鈥� was recommended in the Litter Action Plan and encourages Pennsylvania rising 10th- through 12th-grade students to help keep the commonwealth clean.
鈥淲e are honored to offer the Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania Program in partnership with PennDOT. We know the students of today hold the key to a sustainable future,鈥� said Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful President Shannon Reiter.
The students 鈥� chosen through a competitive process 鈥� will commit to nine months of service in representing and upholding the mission and values of KPB, and will have other responsibilities, including participating in at least one community cleanup event through Pick Up Pennsylvania and conducting one community education event targeting youth in the student鈥檚 community.
More information and the application for the Young Ambassadors Program can be found on the KPB website.