Volunteers collect 3,276 pounds of litter
A total of 3,276 pounds of litter was collected by volunteers in May and June in Anderson County, including 60 pounds of aluminum, 26 pounds of glass, 1,063 pounds of paper, and 1,470 pounds of other trash, according to a report released by County Mayor Terry Frank.
During those months, crews also cleaned up 22 illegal dump sites, she said.
And in the four-month period from March through June, 14,600 pounds of recyclable
Keep Anderson County Beautiful volunteers played a significant role in the cleanup effort, Frank said.
She noted that 50 volunteers spent more than 131 hours collecting litter and recyclable materials, with additional assistance provided by the Museum of Appalachia and the Lake City Elementary Environmental Club.
The Keep Anderson County Beautiful organization also expanded its litter-prevention efforts by installing three cigarette-butt receptacles at the Main Street Shopping Center in Oak Ridge, and distributing vehicle litter receptacles to residents.
In Norris, Keep Anderson County Beautiful worked with children participating in the Norris Summer Recreation Program to plant annual flowers around the Norris Middle School flagpole. Each child also received a potted plant to take home.
“Thank you so much to KACB and everyone who is volunteering their time to help keep our county clean and beautiful,” Frank said. “They are tremendous assets to our community.”
The county’s litter-cleanup efforts are supported by a $52,000 annual Tennessee Department of Transportation litter grant, along with funding from the Anderson County Commission.
For several years, the commission has provided an additional $18,250 annually to expand litter collection through its contract with CC Litter.
The Anderson County litter program is a partnership among the Solid Waste Management Department, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department, CC Litter, and Keep Anderson County Beautiful.
A portion of the state grant is required to be used for litter prevention education, and all 95 Tennessee counties receive annual litter grants, Frank said.
Residents also contribute through volunteer litter pickups coordinated by the county’s Adopt-A-Road Program, which provides cleanup supplies for participating groups.
For more information, visit online at litterfreeintennessee.org.
