Nashville’s Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) has recently unveiled their latest stratagem in the ongoing battle against littering—a campaign that features a character intended to resonate with the city’s populace, a certain “Trashley.” The mission is simple: to highlight the burden of litter on the city’s aesthetic and environmental health and to spur locals into action. Details emerged about Trashley, the face of the initiative, who was introduced to implore Nashvillians to mindfully discard their trash and to encourage participation in NDOT’s project.
The street and online campaign, designed to both amuse and inform, brings to the forefront a figure who represents the antithesis of civic responsibility—Trashley. The character is set to be displayed on digital platforms, billboards, and within commercials, making an appearance at Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Spring Clean event on March 29, as the Nashville.gov website reported. Trashley is not merely a cautionary tale but a loud reminder to residents to step up and help in the efforts to keep Nashville pristine. Residents are being urged to combat litter by reporting incidents via the hubNashville app, website, or by simply dialing 311.
This clever thrust highlights the serious repercussions of litter—blocked storm drains, polluted waterways, and the hefty price taxpayers fork out every year to address the issue. In a statement released by the Nashville.gov website, Mayor O’Connell stressed the importance of a collective effort in maintaining the city’s cleanliness. “Litter is more than just an eyesore; it blocks storm drains, pollutes our waterways and costs taxpayers millions each year,” he said. Following these imperatives, NDOT looks to sway the behaviors of the citizens through awareness and advocacy.
Littering in Tennessee is not an insignificant problem, with approximately 88 million pieces of refuse adorning the roadways. The need to actively maintain the environment becomes even clearer when one considers the staggering 70,000 pounds of litter collected in November 2024 by volunteers, as reported by the Nashville.gov website. An estimated 18% of that litter eventually finds its way into streams and waterways, leading to detrimental ecological effects. The introduction of characters like Trashley aims, then, to dramatically reduce the odds of trash ending up where it shouldn’t and to potentially recapture the serenity of the city’s nature-soaked environs.
For those looking to get involved or learn more about the campaign, information can be found on stoplitter.nashville.gov. The campaign beckons the city’s residents to not just passively observe but to also actively contribute to the upkeep and aesthetic of their environment. It’s a clear call—to not simply disregard the role everyone must play, but to embrace it, to ensure a clean and vibrant Nashville for current inhabitants and the generations to follow.
