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North Carolina
Trashy Issue: North Carolina sees record year for litter collection
(QUEEN CITY NEWS) — It’s a trashy challenge, leaving an eyesore on each nook: litter.
North Carolina had a document yr for litter assortment in 2021. NCDOT experiences 13,103,445 kilos of trash have been collected statewide, costing greater than $19 million. Rowan County contributed about 257,000 kilos of litter to that complete.
For these tasked with cleansing up the roadways, it may be a discouraging job.
“I want folks would recycle extra. I want folks would simply use the trash can on the comfort retailer moderately than throw it out right here at this intersection,” stated Litter Mitigation Supervisor Lawrence Stephens, whereas selecting up trash on the intersection of Woodleaf Highway and Jake Alexander Boulevard.
Stephens has been selecting up Rowan County’s trash for 5 years. It’s a job he loves, not simply because he’s making a distinction.
“The best way trash is every single day, you possibly can come immediately and tomorrow it’s going to be simply as unhealthy. So, it’s simply job safety,” he laughed.
In March 2022, Rowan County collected almost 19,000 kilos of litter. Stephens is one in every of two full-time workers tasked with cleansing up roadways.
Apart from rising training initiatives, the county has additionally cracked down on issuing litter citations. They’ve a deputy whose sole job is stable waste enforcement.
“When the deputy finds an unlawful dumping location, usually we are able to discover who was the defender by going via the trash,” stated Rowan County Strong Waste Director Caleb Sinclair.
In March, that deputy issued 9 citations and located 20 unlawful dumpsites.
Whereas litter can impression public and environmental well being by stepping into storm drains and rivers, it may additionally impression folks’s wallets.
“The aesthetic is essential, as a result of a clear aesthetic drives neighborhood improvement,” stated Sinclair.
As exhausting because the cleanup crews battle, it’s a battle that may’t be gained with out everybody pitching in to do their half.