Keep Louisiana Beautiful collected data from its extensive network to determine the overall impact that the nonprofit organization had on the state in 2017.
Among the accomplishments Keep Louisiana Beautiful cited in a news release were:
— 517,229 lbs. of litter removed from Louisiana roadways (equivalent to 35,000 bags).
— 89,547 cigarette butts picked up.
— 27,601 volunteers cleaned the public lands and waters of the state, a value worth $4.6 million.
— 466,115 lbs of hazardous waste recycled at Household Hazardous Waste days and diverted from landfills.
— 42,194 students received environmental education about the impact of litter and the importance of recycling.
— 2,836 trees planted, resulting in 100 million gallons of water and 140,000 lbs. of CO2 absorbed per year.
— $180,000 in grants awarded by Keep Louisiana Beautiful to reduce waste, increase recycling, and improve public spaces.
The data represents work done by Keep Louisiana Beautiful, its state-wide affiliate network, and grant recipients from the 2017 fiscal year. The majority of these organizations utilize a workforce made up entirely of volunteers that seek a cleaner, greener, more resilient Louisiana.
“What these numbers don’t show are the faces of those volunteers, from elementary school kids to senior citizens, that come out on their Saturday mornings to plant a garden around a traffic circle or clean up cigarette butts at a neighborhood park,” Susan Russell, executive direct, said. “They make a tremendous difference in the quality of life in our communities and we are so grateful for them. We hope to see more folks get involved in 2018 and to have an even greater impact next year.”
To see the full 2017 Keep Louisiana Beautiful impact report, visit keeplouisianabeautiful.org/impact.