If you’ve been out and about recently around Lexington County, you might have seen some litter lying around on the ground, just as we all do. But that might change soon thanks to a new initiative led by both the Lexington County Sheriff’s Office and the Solid Waste Management Dept. have teamed up to keep our area clean thanks to the “Zero Tolerance For Litter Campaign,” which runs throughout the month of April.

During this campaign, these departments will work together to raise awareness about the problem of litter in Lexington County through a series of billboards, social media messaging, flyers, and other forms of advertisement to make the public aware of South Carolina’s litter laws.

In case you need a refresher, the minimum fine for littering in the state is $200, and the maximum is $1087. But money isn’t the only deterrent. You could find yourself doing a bit of public service, picking up litter for 15 hours or so, or you could even wind up in jail for up to 90 days. Still feel like dropping that candy bar wrapper on the ground?

The majority of this campaign, which was funded by a Litter Enforcement Grant from Palmetto Pride, an organization whose primary goal is to engage citizens to take responsibility for litter prevention, is focused on vehicles and the loads they carry. Lexington County was awarded $6,500 by the Litter Enforcement Grant for the purchase of equipment and resources for use in litter control cases.

In a press release from the Lexington County Public Information Office announcing the beginning of the campaign, there’s a section that lays out what the majority of the effort centers around.

“Much of the focus of this campaign will be on making sure residents are properly covering and securing their loads (tires, trash bags, wood waste) while they are driving,” the release reads. “Residents will see messages and advertising that includes the phrase, ‘Tarp Your Trash, Even Trash Bags.’ The hope is this phrase will remind people to properly cover and secure their load and prevent littering in accordance with state laws.”

In fact, according to Palmetto Pride, unsecured loads are the number one source of litter in South Carolina, making them illegal in South Carolina and Lexington County. Even if you’re traveling to or from the county’s collection and recycling centers and landfills, you still must make sure to secure your load as needed.

Ultimately, the “Zero Tolerance For Litter” campaign exists for one simple reason: Litter is harmful to Lexington County and to South Carolina.

Litter endangers the environment, our wildlife, and the economy. It pollutes the local neighborhoods, decreases property values, and destroys the county’s natural beauty. Litter can even lead to increased crime; it signals to criminals that residents don’t care what happens in their neighborhood and makes the area more vulnerable. That’s why Lexington County Solid Waste Management is teaming up with Lexington County deputies to help make Lexington County litter-free.