Volunteers wanted to pick up trash, recycle in Louisiana. See how to sign up

Michael Scheidt
·3 min read
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BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – This year’s Love the Boot Week, a campaign dedicated to statewide trash cleanup, is set to start on Saturday, April 20, and go through Sunday, April 28.

Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser and Keep Louisiana Beautiful started the week with a news conference at 10 a.m. Friday, April 19 at the Capitol Park Museum.

“Love the Boot Week empowers businesses, nonprofits, governmental entities, schools and individual citizens to clean up and beautify their communities,” said Nungesser. “According to a recent KLB litter study, 92% of people in Louisiana think litter is a problem. We need everyone in every parish doing their part to stop litter from hurting our Sportsman’s Paradise.”

Nungesser also gave insight of other plans in the works.

“We’re going to have a new hotline to announce, I think, early next month. I bet you can call in, report someone literate, sign an affidavit. They’re going to get a ticket in the mail. So, all Louisianans eyes will be out there watching for those people that litter,” said Nungesser.

KLB said it will launch the largest litter removal effort in Louisiana with over 650 cleanup and beautification events planned in all 64 parishes.

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Over 12,750 Louisianans volunteered during Love the Boot Week in 2023. They gave 61,493 hours and removed 313 tons of litter in all 64 parishes, according to KLB.

“Removing litter is important, and KLB is proud to support local cleanup efforts by donating 525 supply boxes of volunteer t-shirts, bags and gloves,” said KLB Executive Director Susan Russell. “However, we know removal is only one piece to solving the litter problem. Litter prevention through education, accountability and awareness are all critical components. We must shift attitudes, behaviors and a culture that accepts litter as the norm.”

Russell also sent out a message to businesses, encouraging ways for people to help throughout the year.

“We’re asking our business community to do is to clean their parking lots daily, to have a trash receptacle out front and to maintain their green space in their dumpsters,” said Russell.

Officials said volunteers focused on more than litter removal last year. They also worked on community beautification, planting 370 trees and 3,542 plants and fixing up 146 gardens.

KLB said recycling is a key part of Love the Book Week. Coca-Cola is funding the recycling of plastic bottles and cans for over 120 litter cleanups in 15 parishes. This is a big change from the 2023 recycling effort where 3,506 aluminum cans and plastic bottles were collected at 13 Love the Boot Week events.

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As Love the Book Week continues, clean up volunteers like Andrew Hardee, emphasize taking care of the state is important and encourages everyone to participate.

“This affects tourism. This affects the people that live here. It’s just so important that we get people to realize and understand to take care of the environment that they and their friends and family and communities are living in,” said Hardee.

Click here if you are interested in signing up to volunteer.

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