Did you know? In 2023, The Woodlands Township Environmental Services joined forces with 227 volunteers to collect and audit escaped trash in the community, resulting in the collection of 4,561 littered items. This feat alone is a remarkable accomplishment, but over the course of 14 audits and 501 hours, dedicated volunteers then sorted and analyzed each and every piece of litter they found in our community. After analysis, the results were entered in the Keep Texas Beautiful’s TxLitter Database to inform comprehensive reports about “what gets littered where” in the Township.
Only by knowing the amount of litter present can this amazing work help raise awareness about the damage to our waterways and environment caused by litter; in 2023 volunteers found that 68% of all audited litter was plastic, with 16% of the total being cigarette butts! While a seemingly small percentage, disposing of cigarette butts in the trash is essential as they contain cellulose plastic filter components that hold onto the toxins from burning tobacco and heating plastic. If left on the ground, these and all the collected items would instead pollute our water bodies – washed there by stormwater runoff!
So now and then you may see a volunteer dashing across a roadway to grab litter! Please give them a thumbs up as thanks for their dedication to keeping The Woodlands clean and healthy – perhaps you will even be inspired to join their effort.
Would you or your group like to participate? Residents, company groups, scout and school clubs, church groups, and more are continuing to collect and audit litter found throughout our hometown, and we welcome you to join us! We will work with you on a convenient date, time, and location so you can take part in this true community science project. Email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov to schedule a great team-bonding activity that makes a difference by removing pollutants from our waterways.
