Gov. John Carney was joined by other state officials and legislators from both parties in declaring a war on litter.
“If you’re like me, you notice litter everywhere – in trees, on highway ramps, and along roads in all three counties,” said Carney. “When I took the oath of office to become Delaware’s 74th Governor, I pledged not only to uphold our constitution but to ‘respect the right of future generations to share the rich historic and natural heritage’ of our state. From Trap Pond in Laurel to the Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, we live in a beautiful state, and we should take care to preserve that heritage. That’s why, in partnership with Keep Delaware Beautiful, we have launched a statewide campaign to encourage all Delawareans and visitors to not litter, to respect our natural heritage, and Keep DE Litter Free.”
The campaign aims to increase awareness about litter in Delaware, to partner with local officials to pursue anti-litter policies, and to reduce the amount of litter in Delaware over time.
A release took note of a 2018 study from Keep Delaware Beautiful and the State of Delaware identified more than 6,000 pieces of litter for every mile of Delaware roadway surveyed. Cigarette butts, plastic bags, aluminum cans, and glass bottles accounted for a significant percentage of the roadway trash. Carney also is supporting legislation, sponsored by Representative Gerald Brady, to ban single-use plastic bags in Delaware.
“In addition to negatively impacting the appearance of our state and the environment, reckless littering also causes us to devote significant time and man power to cleaning it up,” said Jennifer Cohan, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Transportation. “We have men and women risking their lives on our roads picking up trash that careless people just toss out their windows. It’s just not acceptable.”
“Littering and illegal dumping have become a growing problem statewide impacting our lands and waterways,” said Shawn M. Garvin, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. “Governor Carney’s ‘Keep Delaware Litter Free’ campaign will help to raise awareness and challenge all of us to clean up Delaware. DNREC will use our authorities to support this effort.”
“We are excited about the launch of the Keep DE Litter-Free initiative the Governor unveiled today. Every Delawarean can play a role in helping to Keep Delaware Beautiful by committing to do their part,” said Julie Miro Wenger, Executive Director, Keep Delaware Beautiful. “We hope to help change behavior. We appreciate the commitment and partnership with the Governor, his administration and the legislature.”
