Litter Prevention
Litter is a growing problem in Port St. Lucie and eliminating litter in Port St. Lucie is a priority so that our city can continue to be a great place to live and work.
Keep America Beautiful has long recognized the problems created by litter and ways that individuals and groups can make a difference in combating this pervasive problem.
Cigarette butt litter is a particularly pervasive and intractable form of littering in the city and nationally as well.
How we combat litter
Community Appearance Index
Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful conducted the Community Appearance Index on March 3, 2023, a tool designed by Keep America Beautiful to visually assess the overall appearance of communities through indicators such as litter, illegal signs, graffiti, abandoned/junk vehicles and outside storage. A team of government representatives conducted the visual analysis using a scoring system ranging from 1-4, with "1" being the best to "4" being the worst.
Port St. Lucie received a 1403333 or 1.40 with the final score of 1 rating for 2023, which equates to being "little to no litter." "Little to no litter" is defined as "Virtually no litter, 1 to 2 small items in a city block or its equivalent, generally neat and tidy, and usually obvious."
KPSLB would like to thank the residents and volunteers who continue to support our efforts in helping keep our City litter free and beautiful.
KPSLB Events
Caring Community Cleanup Day: Held yearly in the Spring to coincide with national Earth Day celebrations, KPSLB's Cleanup Day event has become a tradition in Port St. Lucie, attracting several hundred people every year who want to make an effort to reduce litter in public areas and improve the natural environment of the city. Volunteers are transported from City Hall to various public areas for clean-up.
Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day: Held bi-annually at the City's Public Works complex at 450 Thornhill Drive, Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day makes it easy for residents to get rid of their unwanted household chemicals and hazardous waste by providing a convenient place and time where the materials can be handed over to experts—free of charge—for proper disposal.
Learn more about KPSLB Events.
Litter Crews
KPSLB Litter Crew
KPSLB's litter crew is comprised of two city employees, whose salaries are paid for out of Keep Port St. Lucie Beautiful franchise fee funds generated from the franchise fee on all garbage bills. This two-person crew is dedicated solely to picking up litter and addresses many of the litter conditions reported through the litter hotline.
St. Lucie County Sheriff Inmate Litter Crew
Five days a month for approximately six hours, the St. Lucie County Sheriff provides a small crew of supervised inmates who are tasked to clean up litter in pre-designated areas of the City.
Litter Hotline: 772-871-7000
The City's litter hotline allows citizens to report conditions such as commercial or residential litter, illegal dumping, debris in a canal, and general litter in Port St. Lucie.
The Statewide Litter Hotline is 1-800-BAN-LITT(er).