Love the Boot Week, the largest litter removal effort in the state organized by Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) from April 18 to 24, served as a wake-up call for Louisiana with 280 registered cleanup and beautification events in 54 parishes. Data collected through May 4 shows a total of 8,476 reported volunteers and participants dedicated an estimated 40,007 hours, removing 293 tons of litter.
Plastic bottles were the most common littered item reported. Other common items included paper, cigarette butts, plastic bags, fast food packaging, masks, and straws.
In addition to litter removal, participants focused on community beautification, planting 131 trees and 671 plants, and refurbishing 58 gardens.
Participating in Love the Boot Week were businesses, non-profit organizations, local and state government entities, neighborhood organizations, schools, and individual citizens.
“This is just the beginning of a long road,” said Susan Russell, Keep Louisiana Beautiful Executive Director. “Litter removal is just one piece of the larger puzzle, which also includes public education, the organization of supportive infrastructure, and enforcement. It’s going to take a significant culture shift and all of us working together to clean up Louisiana.”
This statewide litter removal and beautification campaign was timely. On January 18, Governor John Bel Edwards announced an executive order establishing the Statewide Litter Abatement and Beautification Task Force administered by the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and KLB. The task force will make recommendations to the Governor by July 1, 2022.
“We are not waiting for a report. We have already started tackling our state's litter problem. Love the Boot Week was a tremendous success; however, the job of cleaning up Louisiana is far from done," said Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser. “We are finally going to work together as a team to clean up our state and let our light shine. We need to put the paradise back into Sportsman’s Paradise.”
While Love the Boot Week has concluded, citizens are encouraged to continue the clean-up efforts and can take the 4th Saturday Pledge at www.lovetheboot.org. Love the Boot Week 2023 will take place April 17-23, 2023.
The Office of the Lieutenant Governor and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana were proud supporters of Love the Boot Week. For more information about Love the Boot Week, visit www.lovetheboot.org.
Keep Louisiana Beautiful is the state's anti‐litter and community improvement organization focused on education, enforcement, awareness, and cleanups. Affiliated with Keep America Beautiful, Keep Louisiana Beautiful's mission is to promote personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. Keep Louisiana Beautiful is comprised of a network of 39 affiliates in communities throughout the state. For more information, visit www.keeplouisianabeautiful.org.