County trash crews picked up 70 tons of garbage tossed along roads in the unincorporated areas and those bordering Shelby Farms during the past two months.
“Every dollar used for litter could have been spent on other pressing citizen needs. Still, we’re committed to improve the appearance of Shelby County to retain and attract residents and businesses,” said Shelby County Mayor Mark H. Luttrell Jr.
Last month, he ordered two more four-man inmate crews from the Shelby County Corrections Center to pick up litter along with Shelby County Public Works employees.
Road crews patrol areas near Millington, Woodstock, Northaven, southeast Shelby County, north-east Shelby County and Cordova.
Twenty-four inmates pick up trash Monday through Friday with additional D.U.I. offenders working on Mondays and Saturdays.
The roads with the largest accumulations of roadside debris in both May and June were Pisgah in east Shelby County and Lowrance in the southeast area of the county.
The cost of littering
Here are the two-month totals:
- Tons of Trash: 70
- Landfill costs: $1,969
- Crew miles: 873
- Crew hours: 2,600
Crews check addresses on discarded envelopes, magazines and other documents that could identify offenders. The county also has cameras hidden in the unincorporated neighborhoods to catch littering offenders.
To file a roadside litter complaint in the unincorporated areas, call the Shelby County Mayor’s Action Center at (901) 222-2300 or send an email online at shelbycountytn.gov under “Report a Concern.”
