Northwest Alabama Counties Look for Solutions to Control Litter

Trash on highways is unsightly. Alabama highways in the northwest counties of the state may have found a tool to help alleviate this problem. The Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, in partnership with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, recently hosted a meeting to discuss the possibility of emulating Virginia’s anti-litter program -- Assign-A-Highway.

Assign-A-Highway uses probationers who are assigned to pick up litter along certain sections of road. The assignments are written into court documents as conditions of the probation. According to Bill Smith, former chairman of the Southwest Virginia Litter Task Force, “The real beauty of the program is that it requires no direct supervision. A probationer can pick up the litter anytime, day or night, as long as it is cleaned prior to the twice monthly inspections by the litter officer.” The litter officer merely drives by the assigned segment of road and notes if it is cleaned or not. If the segment has not been cleaned, the officer notifies the probation officer that the probationer needs to clean the road. The probation officer then warns the probationer about responsibilities of the court order.

The program has multiple benefits. First, probationers represent an untapped source of motivated “litter getters.” Smith says, “The probationers are motivated by the thought of having their probation revoked if they fail to meet the terms and conditions imposed by the court.” Some probationers are also motivated by wanting to redeem themselves in the eyes of the community. Secondly, clean highways can have a positive impact on industrial development and tourism. Companies are reluctant to build businesses in locations that are littered and unkempt.

Charlie Meek, Coordinator of the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council, said, “We think the Virginia Assign-A- Highway program is a tool to help eliminate highway trash problems in Alabama.” Meek also noted, “The support that the RC&D Council received with planning this meeting was tremendous. When everyone received an overview of the Assign-A-Highway Program and the credentials of our speaker, they all said ‘count me in!’” Meek also shared great appreciation for the other speakers on the program (Randall Armstrong-Lauderdale County Extension Office, Keith Jones-Northwest Alabama Local Council of Government, and Steve Richerson (www.stevetrash.com).

Following the Assign-A-Highway meeting at the Shoals Conference Center, the RC&D Staff, Steve Richerson, and Bill Smith attended a work session of the Lauderdale County Commissioners where Bill Smith gave a brief overview of the successes of the Assign-A-Highway Program.

Involvement and support from local government is one key to the success of the program. The City of Florence Mayor Bobby Irons was quick to show his support. “Trash is an ongoing problem that we constantly have to stay on top of. Clean highways are so important to economic development. The first thing a company will notice is how clean is our area.”

While the Assign-A-Highway Program is not the sole solution to the problem of litter, it is certainly one worth looking closely at for possible implementation in Alabama. Meek noted that the RC&D Office has been very pleased with the positive feedback received after the meeting. Several counties are discussing the possibility of implementing a program similar to the Virginia Assign-A-Highway Program.

< Back to Success Stories