Special to Iredell Free News

​RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Transportation’s crews, contractors and volunteers have collected more than 9 million pounds of litter from roadsides and are on pace to exceed the state’s record for litter collection set in 2019.

“In North Carolina, we take great pride in our natural resources, but we all have to be vigilant to keep our state beautiful,” said Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette. “We may break a record for the amount of litter we pick up along roadsides this year, but we must keep that momentum going. Everyone should do their part to help us keep North Carolina roads clean.”

Boyette encouraged everyone to get involved in the 2021 Fall Litter Sweep from September 11-25. To sign up for the litter sweep, go HERE. To learn more about the litter sweep, visit the program’s webpage.

NCDOT officials estimate that in the late fall the agency and its partners will break the 2019 record of 10.5 million pounds collected.

NCDOT’s litter management programs are multifaceted. The department makes use of state-owned forces and contract services statewide. NCDOT’s Sponsor-A-Highway Program allows businesses, organizations and individuals to sponsor litter removal along roadsides. NCDOT is also proud to partner with the more than 120,000 participants in the Adopt-A-Highway Program, where volunteers pledge to clean a section of our highways at least four times a year.

If you spot someone littering from their vehicle, report them with NCDOT’s Swat-A-Litterbug app by downloading the app at ncdot.gov/litter​.

Litter is unsightly, costs millions of dollars to clean up and can hurt the environment, tourism and the state’s quality of life.