Litter: it’s trashy. No one appreciates seeing roads and right-of-ways strewn with garbage. The Blount County Mayor’s Office is joining forces with Keep Blount Beautiful, the cities of Maryville and Alcoa, the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Maryville and Alcoa Police Departments, and the Alcoa/Maryville/Blount County landfill to address littering in Blount County. Together, these entities are seeking to encourage Blount Countians to clean up and prevent the mess. The goal of the “Be Blount-- Be Better” initiative is to raise awareness of the problem of litter, crack down on litterers, and provide opportunities for citizens to work alongside local agencies by volunteering for cleanups. 

Increased growth and development has contributed to an increase in littering throughout Blount County, and Blount County Mayor Ed Mitchell’s office has received more calls in recent weeks that inspired the campaign. “We want to respond to concerned citizens and work with other agencies to address a problem that people are seeing as they drive around the County,” said Mayor Mitchell. 

“Working with law enforcement to ensure that people are being ticketed for littering violations will help prevent future littering.” Tennessee Code 39-14-5 outlines litter violations and fines for individuals and trash hauler trucks. 

In addition, Keep Blount Beautiful is joining in to help clean up existing litter. KBB is currently accepting registration to volunteer for their upcoming fall litter cleanups. Visit keepblountbeautiful.org for more information and to sign up to volunteer!