Vacations, relaxation and family bonding come to mind during the summertime, but it’s also a time when the most litter is produced along our roads.

To help combat the problem of roadside litter, the County is encouraging residents to organize groups and borrow litter kits to help clean up roadsides during their summer activities. Wake County litter kits are available for free and include garbage bags, safety vests and litter grabbers. Residents can check out litter kits for up to two weeks and may pick up their kits from one of three locations. Within the last year, 245 bags containing 1.65 tons of litter have been collected.

“We see the most litter accumulate along our roads during the warmer seasons, when people are traveling and spending the most time outdoors,” said Wake County Commissioner Cheryl Stallings. “Roadside litter is an easily preventable problem, but we all have a part to play in solving it. Beautifying our roadsides can also be a good outdoor activity for families and groups who want to make a difference for our environment this summer.”

Roadside litter can also be reduced by:

• Properly securing and covering loads when traveling
• Ensuring all trash and recyclables are disposed of in camping and picnic areas and outdoor event spaces (Wake County also loans trash, compost and recycling bins for events)
• Recycling and reusing materials.
   

If residents witness someone littering, they can also contact the State Highway Patrol or use the N.C. Department of Transportation’s Swat-a-Litterbug app to report offenders.