Keep Baton Rouge Beautiful, Inc.Keep Baton Rouge Beautiful, Inc.KBRB Inc. was founded in 1982 as a charter affiliate of the non-profit national public service organization Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB). Originally named Keep America Beautiful in Baton Rouge, we changed our name to KBRB in 2000 to reflect the policies of KAB. KBRB was formed by a host of community leaders in reaction to the need to take an activist role in changing the appearance of the community by reducing litter, promoting beautification, and enhancing educational curricula for youth in our schools as a means of making a long-term impact on community attitudes toward litter. Since its formation, the Board of Directors of KBRB has included among its membership community leaders from all corners of the Greater Baton Rouge Area, in city-parish and state government, K-12 and higher education, commerce, industry, communications, and the non-profit sector.
From its beginning, KBRB has served the Baton Rouge community by promoting public interest in the general improvement of the environment through the coordination and support of programs pertaining to litter control and beautification of our city. This has been accomplished through the establishment and expansion of a number of well-received programs. New programs are continuously being developed, and established programs are continuously modified for better impact. These programs presently include:
We invite you explore this web site for details on these programs (see links in the left panel), and to join us in these important efforts at improving our community and educating the community -- especially our youth -- to change attitudes toward litter. Click here for our membership brochure (PDF format).
From KAB: Litter In America, 2009 National Litter Research Findings and Recommendations. Executive Summary in pdf format.
Useful Links:
Curbside recycling guidelines
Where to recycle in Baton Rouge
Where to recycle household hazardous materials year round in Baton Rouge
East Baton Rouge Parish Recycling Office.
EPA web site on old cell phone recycling.
How long does trash last in a landfill?
| paper | 2.5 months |
| orange peel | 1-6 months |
| cigarette butt | 5-6 years; chemicals also leach into water and poison wildlife |
| milk carton (cardboard) | 5 years |
| plastic bag | 10-20 years |
| plastic cup lids, utensils | 20-30 years |
| metal bottle cap | 50 years |
| foamed plastic cups, plates | 50 years |
| disposable diaper | 75 years |
| plastic bottle | 100-400 years |
| tin can | 50-100 years |
| soft drink can | 200-500 years |
| monofilament fishing line | 600 years |
| glass beverage bottle | 1 million years |
| styrofoam | never |
Sources: Keep America Beautiful, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality.
Litter Laws and Stats
Louisiana spends more than $14 million a year to clean up our highways. In 2004 alone, state and sheriff cleanup crews picked up an estimated 450,000 bags (20,000 miles) of trash in our state.*
According to Louisiana R.S.30:2531-2531.3, the penalties for littering in Louisiana range from $50 to $5,000. Those who litter can also expect between four and 10 hours of community service, suspension of their driver's license for one year and even the possibility of jail time for up to 30 days.
* Louisiana Department of Corrections.
February 19, 2010