MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — The City of Murfreesboro reminds residents that there is a significant cost to cleaning up the city’s roadways and waterways from litter and pollution caused by man-made trash. The 2nd Annual “No Trash November” urges citizens to join in the cleanup.

“We urge citizens to join the “Nobody Trashes Tennessee” campaign, a movement to stop littering and spread the message on how each of us can do our part to keep Murfreesboro and Tennessee beautiful,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “As we all know, we can’t fix the problem overnight, but we should all do our part to help stop littering.”

Litter on Tennessee roadways, including Murfreesboro, is a serious problem, and it needs serious solutions. It damages the environment, gets into our waterways, endangers our wildlife, is a detractor for our beautiful state and city, and costs taxpayer dollars to clean up.

The City of Murfreesboro encourages residents to join the State’s “Nobody Trashes Tennessee” campaign by signing up for the newsletter, following the campaign on social media, and spreading the message. Three simple steps go a long way!

• Stop littering:  Learn what constitutes trash and take step to avoid intentional or unintentional littering.
• If you see litter, pick it up:  There are over one-hundred million pieces of litter on Tennessee roadways at any given time. If you see some, pick it up—every little bit helps.
• Spread the message:  Tell everyone you know. Sign up for the TDOT newsletter. Follow the campaign on social media https://nobodytrashestennessee.com/join-the-movement/

The City of Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation Department needs volunteers to help clean up our parks, riverways, and greenway spaces. Visit Outdoor Murfreesboro Natural Resources to sign up for Trash Clean Up, Nov. 1, 8:30-11:00 a.m. Sinking Creek; Nov. 5, 9:00-11: a.m. Manson Pike Trailhead; Nov. 19 10:00 a.m.-Noon. Opportunities to join Guardians of the Greenway are also available Nov. 22 9:00-10:30 a.m. OFP Trailhead, with more dates added monthly. Sign up directly on the Volunteer Signup Page.

“Just this year alone through September, volunteers have put in 330 hours and Natural Resources staff have put in 250 hours removing over 8,480 pounds of trash from the Greenway and other parks natural areas, along the Stones River, Lytle Creek, and other tributaries and wetlands in Parks,” said City Natural Resource Manager Kristin Hopkins. “We hope people of Murfreesboro who love and appreciate clean water, green space, and nature will join us in this campaign to secure your trash, dispose of it properly, and reduce the use of single-use items.”

Single-use items and packaging such as beverage bottles and plastic bags, cigarette/cigar butts, and large dumped items like tires, old electronic equipment, and an occasional washing machine are items routinely retrieved from waterways and parks.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has a Litter Hotline 1-877-8LITTER available for concerned citizens to take action by letting the department know when residents witness littering on the state’s roadways.

With the information, TDOTs Highway Beautification Office sends a friendly reminder letter to the registered owner of the Tennessee vehicle informing them of the negative consequences of their littering actions and providing them with educational materials. Visit Litter Hotline (tn.gov). “Nobody Trashes Tennessee” also promotes the Adopt-A-Highway Program https://nobodytrashestennessee.com/adopt-a-highway/.

City Public Works utilizes crews who pick up litter on City roadways everyday Monday through Friday, averaging ten bags of litter daily, 150 bags a week, 600 bags a month. The cost of this service to taxpayers is $170,000 annually.

“City Public Works crews urge citizens to dispose of trash properly in waste containers at home, work, City Parks, and along the Stones River Greenway,” said Public Works Executive Director Raymond Hills. “Also, please keep truck beds clear of loose debris and secure the lids of outdoor garbage containers.” 

CityTV has long run a video PSA campaign to encourage residents not to litter (See video below) The award-winning video effectively uses animation to visualize the problem and encourages everyone to do his or her part to keep our City litter free, “Don’t Littler, It’s That Simple.” Concerned citizens are encouraged to share the simple video message on all platforms.

Residential property makes up almost half of the non-agricultural land of the City of Murfreesboro. The activities of homeowners make a significant difference to stormwater runoff quality and stream quality. The Murfreesboro Water Resources Department Stormwater Quality Division works tirelessly to reduce non-point source pollution. Learn more about the consequences of pollution to our water resources and how to help at https://www.murfreesborotn.gov/509/Residents  

Almost every property in Murfreesboro is connected to a local stream by the public drainage system. This means every citizen has a chance to impact water quality in our streams and wetlands. Murfreesboro Stormwater, Water Quality Division, strives to improve water quality by developing education programs that focus on preventing pollution, including litter.

“No matter how far you live or work from a stream, your actions count,” said Stormwater Manager Josh Upham. “Help us keep litter from entering our streams by keeping it out of your part of the drainage system.”    

Residents can help improve the quality of streams by reporting illicit discharges into the City’s drainage systems at 615-848-3200 or www.murfreesborotn.gov/waterresources.

Watch this brief PSA on YouTube to learn more (Below):