Litter-Trash-Illegal Dumping Costs in Kentucky

I’ve had requests on where I got my information on litter statistics. Complied below are some stats with links as to litter, trash, garbage and illegal dumping in Kentucky.

Kentucky Litter and Illegal Statistics

• $4-5 Million For Roadside Litter
• 200,000 hours spent removing litter
• 96,000 bags of litter
• Kentucky produces nearly 17 million pounds of garbage daily
• 83% of households participate in trash collection, the remaining 17 %, who do not, produce about 3 million pounds per day

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet began the Adopt-A-Highway Program in 1988 to raise environmental awareness and discourage littering. Today, more than 1,600 groups participate in Kentucky’s program, cleaning approximately 6,600 miles annually.

• 52 State Parks in Kentucky that have litter problems

Illegal Dumping

• $2.9 million per year is spent cleaning up illegal open dumps
• 1993, Kentucky has cleaned up 22,937 illegal open dumps-an average of 1,764 per year) at a cost of $57 million dollars to local taxpayers and residents.
• Solid Waste Coordinators of Kentucky, 54 percent of rural road and 43 percent of urban road litter are bottles and cans
• Two-year examination of 600 miles of Kentucky’s roads showed that 950 cans and bottles had been discarded per road mile

Report a Litterbug- Kentucky Pride Bluegrass PRIDE is tackling litter in Central Kentucky head on and we have the resources to help you get rid of litter in your community!

• During Roadside PRIDE Month, 2,935 volunteers worked 13,637 hours to pick up litter along 1,318 road miles. The region-wide cleanup effort netted 16,113 bags of trash, 1,396 tires and 416 appliances

Laws and Fines

512.070 CRIMINAL LITTERING

• Penalty: Class A Misdemeanor ~ Fine up to $500 or up to one year in jail or both

CRIMINAL LITTERING ON PUBLIC HIGHWAY; REWARD FOR INFORMATION

• Penalty: Class A Misdemeanor ~ Fine up to $500 or up to one year in jail or both

603 KAR 5:025 -LITTERING AND IMPROPERLY SECURED LOADS-Section 5. Waste and Rubbish.

• Penalty: Class A Misdemeanor ~ Fine up to $500 or up to one year in jail or both

Boone County

• Boone County – $45,000 to clean roadsides and riverbanks
• Registered Litterbug Spotters can use the form below to report a litterbug call Boone County Solid Waste at 334-3151 to

Lexington

• Online Report a Litterbug form

Louisville– www.keepitcleanlouisville.org

Call MetroCall at 311 or 574-5000

Report illegal dumping, call MetroCall at 311 or 574-5000

• Citizen volunteers cleared more than 80 tons of trash in 2005;

• Inmate crews cleared more than 26 tons of trash last year;
• Supplemental winter interstate cleanups cleared almost 150 tons of trash;

Resources

Litter Survey- A View From the Field- 1999-200