Apr 3, 2020 1 min read

In the April issue of the Pennsylvania Borough News, there’s an article, “Trashing the Environment.” It points out all the trash thrown along our streets and highways. Thirty-seven percent of the litter is cigarette butts, followed by plastic film and bottles: an estimated 29.3 million beverage containers. Urban roads per mile total 2,585 items; rural roads per mile, 1,636 items. 

A tremendous amount of resources is committed to the cleanup instead of going to road improvements. The state Department of Transportation spends $13 million per year on the staff and resources to pick it up. Keep America Beautiful estimates $1.3 billion is spent per year for litter abatement.

Just walk along our roadways and you will see all kinds and amounts of litter. It is now the time – instead of sitting in a jail cell getting three meals a day, free TV and lawyers or playing basketball on the outside court – for the “Cool Hand Luke” patrols to be given trash bags to go out and pick up the litter.

R.A. Larimer

Bentleyville