Keep Eunice Beautiful received two grants from Keep Louisiana Beautiful that were among 40 announced totaling $125,000.
Keep Eunice Beautiful was awarded an affiliate grant for two trash receptacles and a clean up supply grant.
Donna Baltakis, Keep Eunice Beautiful director, said the trash receptacles are worth $500 each.
The receptacles were moved to City Hall Tuesday.
“By simply increasing the number of receptacles in a public space, littering can be greatly reduced,” she said.
The grant to Keep Louisiana Beautiful affiliates was developed to provide high-quality and attractive trash receptacles to public places, she said.
Mayor Scott Fontenot said if people do not see a trash can it is likely they will litter.
Two trash cans will be positioned on Walnut Street, one near the movie theater and the other by Patrick’s Pro Cuts, he said to cut down on weekend littering.
Baltakis said, “The idea is the more trash cans the less litter.
The litter cleanup kits include items such as garbage bags, grabbers, gloves and orange vests, Baltakis said.
A new litter index report is to be released next week.
“I can’t believe how much cleaner the city is,” Baltakis said.
Fontenot said, “I feel like people are taking more pride. I think it is getting there.”
The litter index involves judges surveying 50 sites or litter and other eyesores.
Keep Louisiana Beautiful, the state’s largest community improvement organization, has provided Louisiana communities over $3 million in grants since 2004 to address local environmental issues.
Its Healthy Communities Grant, offered annually, encourages community action in the areas of: environmental education; litter cleanups; litter enforcement; water pollution; household hazardous waste; environmental training/workshops; waste reduction; and reuse and recycle initiatives.
