Six Common Excuses for Littering (And Why They Don’t Fly in Texas)

We all know littering isn’t cool. Still, some folks try to come up with reasons for leaving trash behind. Below, we’re breaking down the most common excuses we’ve heard for littering and showing how it affects our state. Let’s remind our fellow Texans that Don’t mess with Texas means don’t litter.

1. There’s no trash can!
   Classic, right? People use this one because they don’t want their trash sitting in their car for a few extra miles. But there’s a simple fix: get a litter bag for your car. Anything works, even a grocery bag. Keep it handy for those road trips and simply dispose of it properly when you find a trash bin. Next time someone uses this excuse, hand them a bag and a Don’t mess with Texas reminder.
2. The city or county will clean it up.
   Litter cleanup costs the state $35 million every year — money that could be spent on roads, schools or other infrastructure. By disposing of your trash properly, you’re helping reduce the strain on taxpayer dollars and making sure money goes where it’s needed most. Let’s all do our part to keep Texas clean and our tax dollars working for us.
3. It’s organic, so it’s not really trash.
   

   Sure, apple cores and banana peels are biodegradable, but they don’t belong on the roads. Leftover food can actually harm wildlife and mess with our waterways. The simple solution? Hold onto your food waste until you can dispose of it in a proper compost or trash can.

4. This place is already trashed. One more piece won’t hurt.
   This is how litter piles up in the first place. One person tosses something, then another, and soon the whole place looks trashed. If you see litter, be the person who avoids adding to the mess. Don’t let your actions be the excuse others use to litter. Keep it clean and help break the cycle.
5. This place is already filled with trash. Mine won’t hurt. Therefore, our roads continue to look trashy. After the first few (who probably used other excuses on this list), every person who throws trash in an already littered roadway uses this logic. But it’s not logical at all! When you see a problem, you don’t contribute to it; you try to improve it. And, when you know there’s litter on a roadway, you can start the cleanup process by not adding to the issue. If you choose to litter on a road that’s already trashed, just know that you have become an excuse for hundreds of litterbugs to mess with Texas. And we litter-free Texans are not happy about it.
6. It’s tiny, no big deal.
   

   The small stuff adds up. Over 70% of Texas road litter is micro-litter — those tiny things like cigarette butts, straws and bottle caps. All of it damages plant life, harms animals and makes Texas look trashy. Let’s keep our state beautiful — don’t let those small pieces of litter pile up.

No more excuses, Texas. Do your part to keep our roads and highways clean by not littering and disposing of trash properly. Every piece of trash makes a difference, and together, we can keep our state beautiful. Let’s show our pride, Don’t mess with Texas!