ARTICLE
By: Tanya Gray, Keep Temple Beautiful, for the June 2021 Temple Chamber Focus on Business Keep America Beautiful’s 2020 National Litter Study estimated that 50 billion pieces of litter along U.S. roadways and waterways equaling approximately 152 pieces of litter per person in the United States. According to the Texans for Clean Water Burns & McDonnell report, nine cities in the state of Texas spend $50 million per year to deal with litter and illegal dumping. Due to litter issues like this, HARC, a 501c3 research organization, has partnered with Keep Texas Beautiful and Black Cat GIS to launch the first and only litter database in the state of Texas. HARC is a research hub that provides independent analysis on energy, air, and water issues to people seeking scientific answers. Black Cat GIS is a company that provides solutions to the geospatial demands of the conservation and business communities. This tool will revolutionize how organizations like Keep Temple Beautiful collect and report cleanup data. Accessible through any smart device or computer, this online tool will also enable municipal employees, volunteers, and other entities to better track and analyze litter collected during cleanups. The project is funded through the Garver Black Hilyard Family Foundation. Since 2019, the foundation has worked with HARC, Keep Texas Beautiful, and Black Cat GIS in developing new field methodologies to generate much-needed data documenting litter and trash. The team also worked together to develop the first-of-its-kind database that promotes efforts that reduce, remove, and research trash and litter in waterways and beyond. It is of the mindset that this litter database will assist the public in grasping the scale of the problem first-hand. Hopefully, contributing invaluable data to help guide litter management and policy decisions while making each little corner of Texas cleaner and healthier. The Texas Litter Database is accessible at www.txlitter.org. For more information regarding Keep Temple Beautiful or to become a member, call (254) 493-4000 or email tanya@keeptemplebeautiful.org. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/keeptemplebeautiful.
By: Tanya Gray, Keep Temple Beautiful, for the June 2021 Temple Chamber Focus on Business Keep America Beautiful’s 2020 National Litter Study estimated that 50 billion pieces of litter along U.S. roadways and waterways equaling approximately 152 pieces of litter per person in the United States.
According to the Texans for Clean Water Burns & McDonnell report, nine cities in the state of Texas spend $50 million per year to deal with litter and illegal dumping. Due to litter issues like this, HARC, a 501c3 research organization, has partnered with Keep Texas Beautiful and Black Cat GIS to launch the first and only litter database in the state of Texas. HARC is a research hub that provides independent analysis on energy, air, and water issues to people seeking scientific answers. Black Cat GIS is a company that provides solutions to the geospatial demands of the conservation and business communities. This tool will revolutionize how organizations like Keep Temple Beautiful collect and report cleanup data. Accessible through any smart device or computer, this online tool will also enable municipal employees, volunteers, and other entities to better track and analyze litter collected during cleanups.
The project is funded through the Garver Black Hilyard Family Foundation. Since 2019, the foundation has worked with HARC, Keep Texas Beautiful, and Black Cat GIS in developing new field methodologies to generate much-needed data documenting litter and trash. The team also worked together to develop the first-of-its-kind database that promotes efforts that reduce, remove, and research trash and litter in waterways and beyond.
It is of the mindset that this litter database will assist the public in grasping the scale of the problem first-hand. Hopefully, contributing invaluable data to help guide litter management and policy decisions while making each little corner of Texas cleaner and healthier. The Texas Litter Database is accessible at www.txlitter.org.
For more information regarding Keep Temple Beautiful or to become a member, call (254) 493-4000 or email tanya@keeptemplebeautiful.org. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/keeptemplebeautiful.