It Costs HOW MUCH to Pick Up Litter on Illinois’ Highways?

It Costs HOW MUCH to Pick Up Litter on Illinois’ Highways?

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This is NOT okay.

When you're riding on the highway and you have a piece of trash that you want to get rid of, what do you do with it? I REALLY hope it's crumble it up and stick it in your cup holder until you get home to throw it away. However, I drive on the highway every single day, and I can safely say that's not the case.

This new statistic is only proving me right, which I wish wasn't the case. Next time you're about to roll down that window to throw something out, consider this -

Taxpayers pay $6 million a year to clean it up.

That's you right? Yeah, yikes.

Not only is the trash all over the sides of the highway incredibly unpleasing to look at. It's HORRIBLE for our environment. It's also apparently horrible for our tax paying wallets. WIFR details -

The $6.1 million IDOT spent last year to pick up litter could pay for resurfacing 30 miles of road or 40 maintenance trucks that could double as snowplows.

It's such a simple task to just NOT throw out your garbage on the highway. I understand sometimes it blows off of trucks and what not. But if we're all conscious of how we dispose of our trash, we can help the issue.

Not only are the environmental consequences bad, you could face a fine of up to $1,500 and in addition to other penalties, the perpetrator could be required to control litter over a portion of the highway for 30 days as well.

So next time you are tempted to ditch that piece of trash on the highway, remember those facts.

H/T WIFR 

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Filed Under: Drive, driving, Fine, Garbage, Highway, Litter, Recycle, Trash
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