Litter
Litter is improperly disposed of
waste materials,
both human-made and natural.
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According to Keep America Beautiful, litter within the US is down 61% since 1968. Despite less litter being dumped, cleanup costs still average around 11.5 billion dollars per year. Litter can also decrease property values up to 24%.
How you can help
Clean Valley Council works within the community and schools to show how litter can degrade the environment, how it can affect animals, and how it can produce pollution. We also host two volunteer clean up days annually: Clean Valley Day and Fall Waterways Cleanup.
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Litter pickups and cleanup programs such as Clean Valley Day, Fall Waterways Cleanup, Adopt-A-Street, Clean Virginia Waterways, and other environmental programs offer citizens an opportunity to join together to make their community cleaner.
Did you see
someone litter?
What can you do when you see someone litter? Each Virginia jurisdiction has a litter program manager or contact, and a unique litter program. Some jurisdictions encourage citizens to report litterbugs, heavily littered spots or stretches of road, or an illegal dump site. In the City of Roanoke, there is a fine of up to $2,500 and 12 months in jail if you litter, plus and an additional charge for cleanup supplies as well as another $100 for the cleanup.
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It takes the commitment of the local police force, judges, and witnesses to convict people of littering. Therefore, many localities find other ways to combat litter in their jurisdiction.
This can include training ambassadors to do litter outreach in the community, organizing litter pickups, etc. Contact your local government litter program manager to find out what you can do to help prevent litter in your jurisdiction.
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