Litter is really trashy and looks bad in any neighborhood or community.  However, when it is picked up and carried by stormwater into storm drains and  drainage ditches, it eventually reaches our waterways, streams, rivers and lakes.

Trash and litter can clog storm pipes and culverts, causing localized flooding.  Birds, fish and other animals will often mistake litter for food or feed it to their young, and aquatic creatures can become entangled in debris or plastic bags.

Some items, including plastics and aluminum, can take hundreds if not thousands of years to break down, persisting in the environment for generations.

All of this can be avoided by disposing of trash and litter where they belong.  Even better, try to
recycle or repurpose as much as possible!

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Other useful tips:

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• Keep a small trash bag in your car to collect your litter items.

• Check with your city’s or the county website to find out what you can recycle.

• Get together with family and friends and perform a neighborhood trash clean-up.