Many state agencies are actively involved in helping solve the litter problem. These partnerships solidify the state's commitment to eradicating the litter. Here's a sampling of what they are doing.

SC Department of Natural Resources
To the Department of Natural Resources, litter is a serious sore spot, and those folks are serious about stopping the offenders. DNR co-sponsors the annual Beach Sweep/River Sweep Program along with the SC Sea Grant Consortium and PalmettoPride. It's our state's largest annual one-day cleanup of waterways and beaches; since its creation in 1988, nearly 100,000 volunteers have removed more than 600 tons of trash from our waterways. In 2001, more than 7,000 volunteers collected nearly 35 tons of trash and debris along our waterways.

But to the DNR, prevention is one thing and punishment is another. The Department's Law Enforcement Division has the most aggressive litter enforcement program in the state with a 97 percent conviction rate. In 1997, DNR arrests convicted 148 litterbugs, 308 in 1998 and 480 in 1999. PalmettoPride donated over $122,000 for 90 surveillance cameras to the SC Litter Association. DNR, along with DHEC and the SC Forestry Commission, received these cameras, which have been used around the state to aid law enforcement by catching the offenders in the act.

DNR, PalmettoPride and the SC Litter Control Association partner on the "Zero Tolerance for Litter Campaign", a statewide television and radio campaign to promote the zero tolerance for litter message.

SC Department of Transportation
Keeping South Carolina's highways clean and beautiful is a top priority of the Department of Transportation. Combine the agency's two most visible litter removal programs, Adopt-A-Highway and Palmetto Prideways, and you have a terrific opportunity for local organizations, businesses and individuals to help in a big way with close-to-home cleanup efforts. But clean up is just half the commitment. They are building pride in our public lands through a wide variety of beautification projects, including the delightfully colorful Wildflower Program. Local governments are invited to jump on the bandwagon and partner with SCDOT in the Transportation Enhancement Program and the Adopt-An-Interchange to put a new shine on their communities, towns, cities and counties.

SC Department of Education
When it comes to taking the anti-litter message to kids, the Department of Education is a real superstar in the awareness-building department. DOE delivers the message every which way - from developing curriculum-appropriate lesson plans and promoting litter-related projects at science fairs to school-sponsored cleanup drives. For the past three years, PalmettoPride along with the Columbia Marionette Theatre have presented "Litter Trashes Everyone", a free show to all elementary schools featuring marionettes and hand puppets that convey the message to children that all citizens have a responsibility to help keep South Carolina beautiful.

SC Department of Public Safety
The Department of Public Safety, state and local law enforcement agencies have recognized the problem of litter and have been directed to enforce the existing litter laws on our roads and highways - with a zero-tolerance attitude. If you litter, they're going to catch. And it's going to cost you!

A new program for the DPS sponsored by PalmettoPride and in partnership with the DNR is Litter Busters. This 24-hour statewide litter-reporting program aims to encourage citizens to report litter offences to law enforcement. To report offenders call Litter Busters 1-877-7 LITTER.

SC Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
Parks, Recreation and Tourism is working with SCDOT on a recycling program at Welcome Centers around the state to educate visitors on the importance of recycling. PRT is also teaming up with DNR on the Plus-One boating box project, a novel program providing litterbags for boaters and pick-up locations to dispose of the bags. PRT and PalmettoPride have partnered in the "Coastal Campaign". This campaign, which lasts from June to September, is an aggressive television and radio campaign to educate tourists on the importance of not littering and the penalties associated with SC Litter Laws.

SC Educational Television
South Carolina Educational Television is actively involved - after all, they're masters of education and awareness building - by producing Public Service Announcements for radio and television for PalmettoPride.

SC Department of Corrections
The Department of Corrections has more than doubled its number of litter crews from 10 to 21, with 14 inmates per crew. Crews are sent out daily, weather permitting. Since January 2001, inmates at the DOC have collected 354,348 bags of litter; cleaned 28,557 miles of interstate highways and 7,131, miles of secondary highways; have worked 318,469 hours; and saved the state $1,592,345. In 2001, DOC litter crews collected 136,714 bags of litter. And from January to April, 2002, DOC litter crews collected 62,171 bags of trash over 365 miles of highways.

SC Department of Health and Environmental Control
The Department of Health and Environmental Control works with us through Keep America Beautiful of South Carolina to help build awareness of the state's litter problem. DHEC's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management also spearheads the "Adopt-A-Beach" program along the South Carolina coast. More than 50 separate groups have already adopted a mile-long stretch of the beach and have pledged to clean up their adopted beach at least twice a year.