The City of Lubbock website states there is a litter problem across the nation and the Hub City is not excluded. According to their website, trash in streets, at parks, in alleys and yards is not only unattractive but also unsanitary.
Dianah Ascencio, public information officer for the Texas Department of Transportation Lubbock district, said one of the ways people are encouraged to get involved and clean up their communities is through the agency’s Adopt-a-Highway program and the Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off.
“(In 2018) there was over 31,000 Adopt-a-Highway group members across the state that participated in the Trash-Off,” Ascencio said, “and they cleaned up more than 1.8 million pounds of trash off the roadways last year on trash-off day.”
The Don’t mess with Texas Trash-Off is a one-day cleanup event that encourages Texans to get involved in their communities and clear the roads of trash.
Ascencio said researchers believe about half a billion pounds of trash are discarded onto our roadways every year. She said participation in the Trash-Off tremendously contributes to keeping trash off of roads.
The Miller Girls, a sorority at Texas Tech, have won awards for their participation in the Trash-Off Ascencio said.
Shelby Griggs, president of the Miller Girls, said the sorority is all about giving back to the community through whatever means possible.
“We basically just focus on community service, leadership, and a lot of fundraising,” Griggs said.
Griggs said the members of the sorority are required to maintain a minimum number of community service hours. She said the members love being able to help the community and go above and beyond when it comes to these required hours.
Darbie Cooper, the vice president of the Miller Girls, said the awards the sorority has received for its participation in community service acts such as the Trash-Off are good tools of encouragement.
“On the awards standpoint, it’s really cool to have that acknowledgement that we are doing a good job and we are making an impact,” Cooper said, “and it’s really cool to be able to go back and tell our girls that we are actually making a difference when it comes to the trash in our environment.”
Cooper said the pollution in Lubbock has affected animals just as much as it has affected humans.
“All the geese come in every year and then they’re in a lake with a bunch of trash in it,” Cooper said, “and it’s just sad to see an animal that survives by migrating having to live in our filth.”
Valencia Ramirez, the civics officers for the Miller Girls, said for the Trash-Off the groups are given bags to pick up trash and report back how many bags of trash they filled. Some of the things they pick up during the Trash-Off are unusual, she said, and make her think people should keep bags specifically for trash in their car.
“I feel like that would help just overall with the pollution on the side of the highway,” Ramirez said.
According to Dianah Ascencio, the Adopt-a-Highway program and the Don’t mess with Texas Trash-Off are open to any civic, school, church, or family group that wants to participate. Participants are supplied trash bags, safety vests, and work zone signs by TxDOT, and there is no charge to join.
For more information, visit http://www.dontmesswithtexas.org/ .
About JOUR 3312
