Keep Buncombe Beautiful: NC Litter Sweep

Buncombe County -- March 19, 2023: Buncombe County Government Community News:
Keep Buncombe County Beautiful:

Keep Buncombe Beautiful: North Carolina Litter Sweep Takes Place April 15 - 29, 2023

Help keep Buncombe County and North Carolina clean. Litter prevention starts by raising everyone's awareness of North Carolina’s litter laws. Did you know that improperly disposing trash of any kind can be illegal? Not only is litter unsightly, but it can also cost millions of dollars to clean up. The N.C. Department of Transportation’s (NCDOT) 2023 Spring Litter Sweep is taking place April 15-29.

Traditionally scheduled for the last two weeks of April and September, Litter Sweep is a biannual statewide roadside litter removal initiative. Residents throughout the state participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina's roadways. 

In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time to pick up litter and collect orange bags placed on the roadsides by volunteer pickups.

Volunteers are provided cleanup supplies, such as reversible orange/blue trash bags, gloves and orange safety vests, from their local NCDOT County Maintenance Yard office.
 

Ready to volunteer? 

Want to organize a clean-up day for neighborhood or street? If you or your team needs supplies, or if you have any questions, contact your local NCDOT litter program coordinator below. If you organize a pickup day, make sure follow all safety regulations, wear a safety vest and gloves when picking up trash, and only pick up trash during the day. Learn more here.

Buncombe Coordinator for NCDOT Litter Sweep:

David Hoskins--(828) 803-6114

Looking for other opportunities to get involved? Check out these links and resources.

In addition to the litter sweep, NCDOT offers several other opportunities for the public to get involved.

Their programs include:

Adopt-A-Highway
Sponsor-A-Highway
Swat-A-Litterbug
Locally you can find some of our partner organizations doing great work to help keep Buncombe beautiful.

Asheville Greenworks

DIY Litter Cleanup-Ongoing (anytime, anywhere!)

Organizing a litter cleanup with your friends, neighbors, co-workers, or other community members is easier than you may think! Asheville GreenWorks provides cleanup supplies and safety information, and will coordinate trash pickup as needed. Supplies include gloves, safety vests, trash bags, trash grabbers, and a SHARPs container. Register now to learn more about borrowing supplies to organize your own cleanup!

Thanks to The Fairview Town Crier for sharing this community clean-up information. Please note this is not a County event, we are merely sharing for anyone who would like to get involved.

Spring Mountain Community Center / Old Fort Road--March 25, 10 a.m.-noon (Rain date: April 1) To encourage participation, special “trash” will be hidden in secret spots along the road. Anyone finding a special item and also turning in at least one orange bag of litter will win a prize, thanks to local sponsor Daylight Asheville. Volunteers will be briefed as to what the treasures might look like when they check in to get their safety vests, gloves, and trash bags. Snacks and drinks will be provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult and should be old enough to safely move along the roadside. For those who would like to help but cannot attend on this date, call Ruth at 628-1625. Meet at 807 Old Fort Road, Fairview.

Do you have a litter cleanup event you would like us to share? Let us know at prteam@buncombecounty.org.