The Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas (UG) is reminding residents. Litter doesn’t just make neighborhoods look unattractive. It also harms water quality and recreational spaces across the community.
Trash like fast food containers, cigarette butts, or candy wrappers should not be left on streets or parking lots. Rainwater carries this litter into storm sewers. It eventually ends up in local rivers and streams. Litter can take years to break down and may release toxic chemicals into the water supply.
What You Can Do
- Dispose of cigarette butts properly. Cigarette butts are the most common type of litter on U.S. roadways, accounting for 38% of all roadway trash.
- Trash, don’t toss. Keep a small bag in your car to collect food containers, cups, and wrappers instead of throwing them out the window.
- Join community efforts. Neighborhood cleanup and beautification programs help reduce litter. Residents can get involved by adopting a local spot to maintain through the Adopt-A-Spot program at wycokck.org/Government/SOAR/Adopt-A-Spot.
“Littering is more than an eyesore—it threatens water quality and public health,” officials with the UG said.
Residents are encouraged to learn more about cleanup opportunities and volunteer programs at wycokck.org/Stormwater.
The message is simple: If it’s on the ground, it’s in our water.
