Article printed in Denton Record-Chronicle
April 2002

For the past two months we have talked about litter in Denton. Denton, like many other Texas cities, has a recurring litter problem. Based on our youthful population, Denton fits the national profile of a community prone to litter. But there is much that we can do to improve the situation.

Litter negatively impacts economic development. With stiff competition from other metroplex cities vying for desirable businesses, it is vitally important that Denton make a favorable first impression.

In the March 2002 issue of Fiscal Notes (a publication of the Texas Comptroller's Office), an article titled "When Attracting Businesses, First Impressions Count" appeared. It contained the opinions of several experts statewide regarding the connection between community cleanliness and economic development. Heather Richardson, Director of Corporate Expansion and Recruitment with the Texas Department of Economic Development states that there is a "strong link between a community's focus on cleaning and beautifying its streets and parks and its ability to lure new industry. When choosing a site to expand or open a new plant or operation, companies look at an entire community, not just the potential building site."

Bill Wellborn, President and CEO of the Lufkin/Angelina County Economic Development Partnership states that "to make a home for world-class companies you have to have a world-class community. If you look at trying to attract new business and industry, you need to have a clean and neat community."

In April's column, simple tips were offered to residents to help decrease litter in their neighborhoods. This month, I want to offer tips to businesses to help reduce litter on their properties--litter that is created by employees, vendors, and customers. The majority of tips are at no or low cost to the business.

• Place an adequate number of trash containers in parking lots as well as inside and outside of all building entrances.
• Establish a regular schedule for emptying trash containers. Avoid having trash emptied on an "as needed" basis--don't wait until trash is spilling over.
• Replace broken, dirty or damaged containers.
• Use only covered containers to eliminate trash from spilling or blowing out.

• Establish the expectation that employees will pick up trash anywhere in or around your place of business. Let them know that it is not acceptable to walk passed litter.
• Remove trapped litter from fence lines on a regularly scheduled basis.
• Establish smoking areas for employees and customers, and provide adequate means of disposing of cigarette butts.

• Place only tied bags of trash in outdoor dumpsters. This greatly decreases loose trash from blowing out of the dumpster during solid waste pick-up.
• Call the city's Solid Waste Department when your dumpster is near to overflowing, or if your current level of service is not sufficient. Change or increase scheduled pick-ups, if necessary.
• Consider isolating the dumpster area by enclosing it with fences or walls to minimize the possibility of trash spreading to other areas of the business. Clean the enclosed dumpster area regularly.

• Establish a policy for how and when to break down cardboard boxes. Boxes take up a lot of room in dumpsters and may lead to dumpster overflow.
• Inform suppliers and outside contractors of your company policies and expectations regarding waste handling and hauling on your property.
• Commit to reducing loose trash from company vehicles by:
  • Requiring tarps on any vehicles transporting materials.
  • Requiring tightly sealed containers to transport materials that are not covered by tarps.
  • Instructing drivers to pick up any materials that have fallen off of their load while driving.
  • Instructing drivers to discard cigarette butts in ashtrays.
  • Adding trash bags to company vehicles.

• Discard or immediately repair broken equipment. Broken and unused equipment tends to attract trash, and invites storage and stacking of junk.
• Establish separate storage areas for pallets, barrels, scrap, cardboard and equipment. Label the use of each area so other items will not be thrown there.

For more in-depth information about establishing a program at your business to work on solid waste issues, log on to www.kdb.org and print or download our 'Clean Business' manual.

Lancine Bentley is the Program Manager for Keep Denton Beautiful, Inc. She was the recipient of the 1998 Outstanding Woman of the Year award from the Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women in Fort Worth. She can be reached at (940) 349-7770 or at lancine.bentley@cityofdenton.com.