It may seem clear that litter in rivers and waterways comes from our roadways. However, understanding the journey of litter across the state reveals just how impactful this problem is. At any given time, an estimated 88 million pieces of litter cover our roadways. Approximately 80 percent of that litter in rivers and waterways originates on roads. This powerful connection between roads and rivers highlights the importance of keeping our streets clean to protect our waterways.
Taking Care of The Tennessee River
Fortunately, we have a great partner with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (KTNRB). They are solely focused on educating and inspiring our citizens to take action. Their mission is to keep our rivers beautiful and clean for all Tennesseans now and in the future. Together with their partners and over 2,500 volunteers, they have removed more than 275,000 pounds of trash along the river and its tributaries.
“After traveling through the seven-state Tennessee River watershed in our 26-foot work boat for the last three years, I’ve found myself increasingly in awe of the diverse wildlife and scenery in our region,” said Kathleen Gibi, executive director of Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful in a recent opinion piece in The Murfreesboro Voice. “That pivotal role played by the alluring Tennessee River on our local economy is dependent on a delicate, essential ecosystem.”
In a National Litter Study released by Keep America Beautiful earlier this year, cigarette butts were identified as the number one littered item in the country. While cigarette butts may be small, the study estimated more than 9 million of them on America’s roadways.
A Solution for Disposing Cigarette Butts
The KTNRB team has devised an innovative way to help get those cigarette butts where they belong – in a trash can. Taking it a step further, they help partners throughout the region in collecting cigarette butts for recycling. The plastic microfibers found in these cigarette butts are then repurposed into items like outdoor plastic furniture.
“We’ve installed over 500 art-wrapped cigarette receptacles across the seven-state Tennessee River watershed to help prevent the most littered item in the world from making it into our waters,” Gibi said in her article.
It takes great partners to tackle litter prevention in our state. We’re proud to partner with Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful on reducing litter in our state.
Read more of what Kathleen Gibi has to say here: Murfreesboro Voice, The Tennesseean.
