The push for a less littered vista across the Tar Heel State is on as the N.C. Department of Transportation gears up for its 2025 Fall Litter Sweep. From next Saturday to September 27, North Carolinians are encouraged to chip in and clean up roadsides in an effort to beautify the community. In a statement published by the N.C. Department of Transportation, volunteers are touted as the catalyst in the campaign for a cleaner state.
"Volunteering during the Fall Litter Sweep is a simple way anyone can make a visible difference," Jeremy Goodwin, N.C. Department of Transportation's roadside environmental engineer expressed in the press release. Supporters from every corner of society – neighbors, civic groups, and businesses, are invited to unite in discarding the detritus from road shoulders. Keep North Carolina Beautiful emerges as a key advocate, with its director Kyle Prairie attesting, "small actions can add up to big change."
The biannual initiative is also fostered by preregistered support from local businesses and a collective of community leaders. In complementary fashion, N.C. Department of Transportation's maintenance crews will donate one week to gather litter and trash bags filled by the sweep's participants. Additionally, equipment like gloves, safety vests, and bags are being made available at no expense through NCDOT county maintenance offices.
Serving as a precursor to the Great American Cleanup, the largest community improvement initiative in the nation, this year's Fall Litter Sweep is preparing volunteers for the larger task at hand – cleanup efforts across North Carolina set for October. The campaign's success relies heavily on civic participation, and organizations like Keep North Carolina Beautiful alongside local Keep America Beautiful affiliates, are the linchpins in fostering a pristine environment for all North Carolinians to enjoy, according to statements obtained by the N.C. Department of Transportation.
