ABOUT

As Tennesseans, we have a lot to be proud of: our music, our barbecue, our beautiful state parks, the distinguished universities, the icons that call it home and so much more. However, there is one thing we’re not proud of–our litter problem.

There are currently more than 88 million pieces of litter on Tennessee state roadways and it costs TDOT more than $23 million to clean it up every year. How do we know? Because we counted, via a pioneering “Visible Litter Study.”

After all of this research, we created Nobody Trashes Tennessee, a litter prevention campaign brought to you by the Tennessee Department of Transportation. It was created with a few goals in mind–raise awareness about Tennessee’s litter problem, stop littering and build state pride.

RESEARCH

Nobody Trashes Tennessee is founded in research. The campaign is based on three primary litter studies, one conducted in 2006, 2016 and another in 2022. In addition, our latest phase of research conducted in 2022 tested litter behavior and identified messaging that might drive behavior change.

Trashsquatch

For years people have looked for a mythical creature who lives in the forest. They call him by many names, Bigfoot, Yeti, Sasquatch and more. For years, he has hidden from humans, preferring a reclusive existence in the woods. But now, thanks to millions of pieces of litter filling his habitat, he has emerged. Going against his natural instincts, Trashsquatch tours across Tennessee to inspire litter prevention. Following the large creature are the Tri-Star Rangers, who help their friend navigate the human world and pass out free litterbags and other goodies.