MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - A new campaign by the Alabama Department of Transportation highlights both the huge cost of removing roadside trash and the potential penalties for being a litterbug.
The fine for a first conviction for littering is $500, and a second conviction can cost $1,000 plus community service. Lawmakers increased the penalties last year as the cost of removing litter reached $7 million.
The trash highlighted in the "Trash Costs Cash" public service announcement includes cigarette butts, fast-food trash, plastic bottles and old drink cans.
"If we each play our part in keeping our state clean, we won't be impacted by the rising litter fines. More ALDOT funding can be spent on improving the roads we drive instead of litter pickup," Allison Green, coordinator of Drive Safe Alabama, said in a statement.