How can you help?
You can send a letter to your elected officials asking them to put litter on their 2023 agenda. Don’t know who your state officials are? This link will take you to a site where you just enter your home address: Find My Legislator (malegislature.gov)
Want to write to a department head? A simple internet search using “MA Department of XXXX” will get you that contact information. Emails to legislators work too, and you’ll find them on the Find My Legislator pages.
Here’s a sample letter that you’re welcome to use, and we hope you will!
Dear [Senator, Representative, Governor, Department Head]
I am very concerned about the state of the roads and highways in Massachusetts, specifically the vast amount of litter that continues to grow, no matter how often it’s cleaned up (or not). [Enter your initial specifics here such as: I live on Cape Cod, and our major roads, US6, 6A and Route 28 are abominable.] The side roads are in slightly better condition thanks to the many residents who routinely pick up the litter.
Litter is not only an environmental hazard, but also a safety hazard and it undermines our civic pride. Its appearance along the roadways coming in from surrounding states sends a powerful message that our State just doesn’t care how we look to visitors. Yet, we rely on those visitors to support Massachusetts! State government, as well as the Departments of Tourism, Transportation, Education and Environmental Protection need to come up with a legislated master plan that spells out and supports a multi-pronged media campaign to reduce and prevent littering. The litter problem will never diminish on its own. Input from the many cleanup groups, such as [enter groups that you’re familiar with here, such as: Cape Cod Anti-Litter Coalition, Keep Massachusetts Beautiful, Take Care Cape Cod], and others, needs to be heard and given adequate weight.
[Add anything else you’d like, but try to keep it to one page]
I trust that you share residents’ disdain for the ever-growing blight of litter that we and visitors routinely see and that you care enough to commit to considering the litter issue on your agenda during 2023.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your consideration.
Respectfully,
[Your name & affiliation]