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NCDOT Says Littering In Charlotte Has Gone Way Up

Cameron Moore May 6th, 2022
OAKLAND, CA - FEBRUARY 06: A worker with the Oakland Department of Public Works street cleaning team dumps trash into a pickup truck February 6, 2006 in Oakland, California. The Oakland city council committee is expected to vote on a measure Tuesday that would impose fees on all restaurants and stores that serve takeout food or beverages to combat a growing and costly problem of litter throughout the city. Oakland would be the first city in the nation to force fast food outlets and convenience stores to help finance the clean up litter. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Littering in Charlotte continues to get worse and worse.

We’ve all probably seen people littering before, but it seems the amount of litter in the last few years has increased by a lot. NCDOT just released the details on litter in all the North Carolina counties, and Mecklenburg counties results were not good. There was a 24% increase in litter in the last three years in Mecklenburg County.

  • 2019: 1.05 million pounds of litter was collected in Mecklenburg County.
  • 2020: 1.16 million pounds
  • 2021: 1.3 million pounds

Jennifer Thompson, with NCDOT, says pandemic budget cuts affected trash pickup in the last few years, and that could be part of the problem. Already this year, NCDOT has picked up 194,000 pounds of litter in Mecklenburg County and 1.4 million pounds statewide.

I hate when I see people littering. Littering in North Carolina is not only socially unacceptable, it’s also against the law. In North Carolina, it could cost you up to $2,000 if you’re caught throwing litter on the ground. So how about next time you need to get rid of something, look for a trashcan. Charlotte is such a new and thriving city, and it’s important that we keep it clean and beautiful.

If you are looking for way to help clean up Charlotte, CLICK HERE for some volunteer opportunities.

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