Litter Survey Details Problems in Houston

Keep Houston Beautiful's annual survey has found that the most littered sites in Houston are vacant lots, residential right-of-ways and main thoroughfare intersections.

The largest amounts of trash were found illegally dumped in front of vacant lots. The survey teams observed a variety of items were left piled up in front of the lots such as clothing, mattresses, swing sets and tires. Upon speculation, it appears as if these items were removed from area residences and were not taken to either a landfill or a City of Houston Neighborhood Depository Center to be properly disposed.

In other neighborhoods, yard waste was found to be improperly placed at the curb in front of the home. In some cases, branches were not broken down and tied together in smaller bundles. In other cases the survey team observed very large tree limbs placed out at the curb by the resident.

Finally, beer bottles and cigarette butts were found to be the most common items found on the esplanades at thoroughfare intersections. This trash appears to be the by product of both motorists and pedestrians.

KHB coordinated the litter survey August 17-19, 2004. KHB Staff, members of governmental agencies and community-based groups organized into assessment teams to survey all areas of Houston, including some neighborhood parks. KHB used the Keep America Beautiful Litter Index, which rates litter on a four-point scale. (One is ‘no litter', two is ‘slightly littered', three is ‘littered' and four is ‘extremely littered'.)

Overall, Houston rated 1.88 on the Litter Index scale which is lower than the 1.96 the city scored in the year 2002. In general, the city parks included on the 2004 survey were relatively clean as the overall park score was 1.5.

“We are doing better than we did two years ago, but we still have some work to do,” said Robin Blut, KHB Executive Director. “I would encourage residents to make every possible effort to dispose of their trash and debris in the proper manner and not to just dump it along side the road or in front of a vacant lot.” Blut says that education is the key to fostering change.

Residents may dispose of heavy trash at one of the City's neighborhood depository facilities located in the northeast at 5565 Kirkpatrick, in the southeast at 9200 Lawndale, or in the south area at 5100 Sunbeam. Each user must provide proof of residency, including a Texas Driver's License or ID, a current utility bill or city property tax receipt.

Grass clippings, small branches, and leaves must not be placed in the automated garbage cans. They must be put in sturdy one-way containers – not bags – not weighing more than 50 pounds, and placed at the curb 3 feet away from the automated container for separate yard trimming collection. Small branches may be put in bundles as long as each bundle is less than 4 feet in length, 18 inches in diameter and not weighing more than 50 pounds. Yard trimmings mixed with paper, plastic or any other type of waste will not be collected.

Keep Houston Beautiful is addressing the litter situation in Houston by organizing citywide litter cleanups and encouraging residents to mow vacant lots within their neighborhoods. The litter survey reveals that KHB needs to continue to educate citizens on the acceptable and proper methods to dispose of trash and unwanted items. By working with community and civic organizations, greater ownership and empowerment will dramatically improve the overall aesthetic of the community.

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