NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — While Tennesseans have seen cleaner public roads recently, Keep Tennessee Beautiful (KTNB) and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) said there’s still work to be done.
According to data from the 2022 Tennessee Statewide Litter Study, there was a 12% decline in litter along the roads compared to the last study that was done in 2016.
But, that data also showed there are still 88.5 million pieces of litter on average that do exist. That number is down from more than 100 million found in 2016.
“The 2022 study is one of several research products that helps TDOT evaluate progress on litter abatement and make the most effective use of future litter prevention and cleanup resources,” said TDOT Transportation Supervisor, Denise Baker in a press release.
The study selected 120 roadways spread out over rural and urban areas as well as interstates, highways, and local roads.
The study also looked at the size of the litter with most of it smaller than four inches. The litter was made up of mostly plastic and paper items.
To see the full report including the litter heatmap and litter abatement strategies, click this link.
