SAN ANGELO, Texas — It's an ongoing issue, we've all seen it, sometimes we even walk right past it - litter. The Don't mess with Texas Trash-off is a statewide annual clean-up and part of TxDot's litter prevention program.
“The Don't mess with Texas program was started by TxDOT back in the 1980s to reduce litter around the state and despite our best efforts litter continues to be a problem not only here in San Angelo and our 15-county district, but across the state and the trash off is one way that we have volunteers that assist us one time a year to help pick up excess litter around the area,” TxDOT San Angelo Public Information Officer, Karen Threlkeld, said.
Threlkeld said they’ve received really good response over the years with the Don't mess with Texas Trash-off. She said just last year, highway groups picked up four tons of litter, just in the 15-county district.
“It doesn't take much to keep your own litter in your vehicle, secure your loads when your on your way to the land field make sure you don't let things fly out of the back of your pick up truck and just be conscious, we all want to have a beautiful community to live in and trash does not look good in our community,” Threlkeld said.
Keep San Angelo Beautiful Executive Director Charlotte Anderson shared what the nonprofit is doing for the Concho Valley.
“The initiative is the great American cleanup and it starts in March with our Texas river clean up and continues in April with our Don't mess with Texas Trash-off, so really excited to be a part of that and engage the community in the largest day of trash pick up of the year,” Anderson said.
Anderson has a special message for all Texans.
“We just want to encourage our residents and the citizens to remember that real Texans don't litter, that's our special message today, real Texans don't litter,” Anderson said.
The Don't mess with Texas Trash-off hosted by Keep San Angelo Beautiful will be at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, April 2 at Santa Fe Park, 111 Veterans Memorial Drive.