Clean Water Campaign HOME Water
What Can I Do? > At Home > Trash / Litter

What Can I Do?

At Home

 

Trash / Litter

Common forms of litter (or trash) include aluminum cans, plastic bags and bottles, paper products, household hazardous wastes, motor oil, used food containers, cigarette butts, unwanted food, diapers and more. Litter can collect on top of drains, causing potential flooding by not allowing water to enter fast enough during a storm. Smaller debris or non-visible pollutants can wash into storm drains that drain to rivers, lakes and streams. To learn more about how to prevent litter from entering our waterways, attend a free workshop by clicking here.

When litter is washed into creeks and streams, it can impact aquatic life. Small amounts of litter from your home or neighborhood add up to a big problem when it comes from an entire metro area. This pollution can have harmful effects on drinking water supplies, recreational use, and wildlife.

Make sure that your trash is properly disposed of and never litter. If you spot trash and debris in your neighborhood, pick it up and dispose of it properly! Don’t rinse it down the storm drain by hosing an area. Don’t use a broom or a leaf blower to push debris down a drain.

Remember the phrase, “Keep It Clean, Drains to Stream.”

Looking for a solution?

Storm Drain Stenciling or Applying Curb Decals
Community groups, schools and individuals can stencil storm drains and apply curb decals in their community.

Adopt-A-Storm Drain
Adopt-A-Highway or Adopt-A-Stream are programs that improve the environment. And similar to that, is a new way of caring for the environment, Adopt-A-Storm Drain. It is a community project that neighborhoods, communities and schools can organize to monitor and clean up trash and litter going into storm drains.

For more information contact:

Stormwater Facts for Kids
Did You Know?

Adopt-a-Stream

In working with the Adopt-A-Stream program you can volunteer for stream cleanups, water monitoring and workshops.

Learn More

Clean and Beautiful

Locate a Keep Georgia Beautiful Affiliate in your area.

Learn More


Copyright Clean Water Campaign