While Texans are proud of their state’s roadways and natural beauty, roadside litter is still a problem. Most Texans know that “Don’t Mess with Texas” is the TxDOT slogan reminding us not to litter. There are hefty fines for littering in Texas. Most litter comes from items discarded from vehicles, and most of that is comprised of small items like cigarette butts, straws, and gum wrappers.
Litter is simply trash that is not disposed of in a trash can. It includes the obvious culprits, such as plastic bags, cans, fast food wrappers, etc. But you may be surprised at some items that are also considered litter. For example, food scraps and other organic matter are litter—just because an item is biodegradable doesn’t mean it can be thrown on the ground. There are also sneaky offenders that are all considered litter, such as cigarette butts, small candy wrappers, or even trash that accidentally flies out of a car window or truck bed.
Littering is against the law and there are hefty fines for violations. For trash less than or equal to five pounds or five gallons, fines can be up to $500. Repeat offenses are even costlier, resulting in up to $2,000 in fines and 180 days in jail. Additionally, failing to cover a load in your truck carries a fine of up to $200 for the first offense, and $500 for repeat offenses. Trash of more than five pounds is considered illegal dumping, which carries even steeper fines.
Since 1998, Don’t mess with Texas has been reporting on Texans’ attitudes and behavior towards littering, and the campaign recently released the results of their most recent surveys.
Below are a few important statistics that will help you learn more about littering in our state.
According to the 2019 survey, visible litter is down by 17% on roads that TxDOT maintains. This success is happening despite an increase in drivers on Texas roads. However, millions of pieces of visible litter still accumulate on Texas roadways each year—so there is still more work to do.
Learn how you can keep our Lone Star State beautiful.
*This number was much higher in the previous 2017 Survey. TXDOT says that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly reduced driving overall during the period when the poll was conducted. This resulted in less littering by drivers.
