As tractor mowers trim the roadsides and medians on Highway 111 this week, commuters may notice less trash on the side of the road compared to other years.
A recent litter index study revealed a significant decrease in the amount of trash found along Putnam County roadsides, according to Solid Waste Program Manager Lisa Luck. Luck said the county found that litter levels have dropped compared to findings from eight to ten years ago.
“It’s a chronic problem because people, people are people,” Luck said. “They tend to be, you know, a lot of times not concerned with their waste. Some people think that other people have a job cleaning up trash and so they’re keeping somebody in a job to do it.”
Despite the decrease, Luck said Highway 111 remains a persistent problem area because of high traffic volumes and trash and litter being thrown out onto the road. Luck said much of the debris found on that route consists of car parts from accidents or packaging from people eating while traveling.
“We spend so much of our time indoors now, and so many people don’t even have a yard,” Luck said. “If they do have a yard, it’s an asphalt driveway or a concrete patio. And people are just disconnected with taking care of the environment because they don’t feel like they even have a piece of the environment. And it’s a difficult mindset to overcome.”
Luck said the improvement stems partly from a generational shift in how residents manage their household waste. Luck said older generations often disposed of bulky items in ravines or at the end of dead-end roads, but those populations are aging out or learning about modern disposal options like convenience centers.
“We have been in the schools for decades now, and you would not believe the enthusiasm that the kids have for cleaning up their school campuses,” Luck said. “Every elementary school cleans up their campus every year and learns about litter and how to recycle and how to compost now, and they go home and they tell their parents.”
Luck said there is a psychological component to roadside pollution where the presence of existing trash encourages others to discard their own waste. Luck said this “litter begets litter” cycle means that once a single piece of trash appears on a clean road, a large amount of refuse often follows shortly after.
“When you see litter on the side of the road, what that does is it gives somebody permission to litter,” Luck said. “So litter begets litter. So the more you keep litter cleaned up, like when you clean up a roadside or a neighborhood, it will stay clean for a few days, usually.”
Luck said a lack of connection to the outdoors contributes to the problem, noting that many people now spend the vast majority of their time inside. Luck said when people do not spend time in nature, they often fail to see the consequences of throwing trash on the ground, such as waste washing into waterways where they might later fish or swim.
“Instead of having a happy time and listening to music or looking at the birds and the trees and the flowers, you start noticing the litter,” Luck said. “And so suddenly that changes the channel in your mind instead of feeling like you’re having a good drive, you feel resentful because somebody has dumped all this or thrown all that.”
Luck said Tennessee has litter laws in place with fines that increase for repeat offenders or businesses, but enforcement remains a challenge.
“I think it’s important to track when there’s a bag lying on the side of the road, I think it’s important to track and see who threw that bag down and just say, look, you know, you need to manage your waste properly, this is the effect it has on the environment,” Luck said. “So, yes, I think that there should be intervention for people who litter.”
Luck said these local results mirror a national trend reported by Keep America Beautiful, which recently documented a 34 percent decrease in litter across the United States over a 10-year period.