COLUMBUS, OH - More than 11,700 tons of plastic bags, beverage containers, auto parts and other materials are intentionally dumped along Ohio's county, state, interstate and U.S. routes each year, according to a study released today by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). The effort to clean up this litter costs Ohio taxpayers at least $2.3 million annually, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), which cooperated in the study.
"This is Ohio's first in-depth highway litter study in 20 years," said ODNR Director Sam Speck. "It provides valuable base-line data that will help in measuring the effectiveness of programs to combat this problem. It also dramatizes the need for all Ohioans to do their part in preventing roadside litter."
The ODNR Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention conducted the statewide litter study earlier this year in order to quantify the magnitude of Ohio's roadside trash problem. The study indicated that beverage containers, fast food wrappers and cigarette butts account for more than 35 percent of the litter found on the state's roads and interchanges. In addition, the study revealed nearly two-thirds more litter is dumped on the state's urban interchanges each year than on rural interchanges.
"Litter along the highways has become an increasingly expensive issue," said ODOT Director Gordon Proctor. "Unfortunately, we are using a great deal of resources to clean up the mess people make along the road that would otherwise go to improving our highway system. By simply not pitching trash out of their car window, motorists in Ohio can make a significant contribution to keep the state clean."
For more information about the Ohio litter study, contact the ODNR Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention at 614-265-6333 or check the ODNR website at ohiodnr.com . Information on ODOT's Adopt-A-Highway Program is available at 614-644-6603.