Swat-A-Litterbug: New app lets North Carolina drivers report litterbugs

Thursday, March 25, 2021

NCDOT spent more than $1M on trash pickup in 2018, officials say

The NCDOT is looking for residents who are willing to help clean up roadways after it spent more than $1 million on trash pickup in 2018.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Next time you spot someone littering in North Carolina, you can make sure they get a notification from the State Highway Patrol.

Thanks to the North Carolina Department of Transportation's new app, Swat-A-Litterbug, you can easily report when you spot someone littering from a vehicle. All you have to do is provide the date, time, plate number and where it happened and a complaint would be filed.

For the litterbug you spotted, they will be met with a note from the State Highway patrol notifying them about littering offenses, penalties and a note urging them to help keep North Carolina clean.

In March, the NCDOT reported that more than 2.15 million pounds of litter were collected from roadsides in the last year. That number including the 976,000 pounds that were collected since March 1.

The Department of Transportation asks you should follow these tips before littering:

Securing their loads before driving. Unsecured trash can fly from a vehicle and end up as roadside litter.
Holding onto trash until it can be disposed of properly. Keep a litter bag in your vehicle so you can properly dispose of trash later.
Recycling when possible. Recycling protects the environment, saves landfill space and keeps the community clean.

Click here to learn how to report a litterbug.

Report a correction or typo