New institute at LSU announced to help solve litter problem

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - A new institute has been announced to help address the issue of litter in Louisiana and across the world.

Governor John Bel Edwards said the new LSU Litter Institute will “support impactful litter abatement projects and synthesize international research to advance workable solutions to a $15 billion-plus national problem.”

Officials said litter is especially an issue for Louisiana because the state is the endpoint for waterborne trash from almost half of the other U.S. states.

“It is a problem that affects all of us, regardless of where we live,” Gov. Edwards said. “It’s up to us to solve it, and by working together and taking personal responsibility, we can keep our communities, state and beyond clean.”

Officials said that the Louisiana legislature provided $800,000 in funding for the LSU Litter Institute. It will build on the work of the 2022 task force on statewide litter abatement and beautification.

RELATED: New efforts underway to clear out 81 tons of litter behind LSU’s Burden Center

Hundreds of groups in Louisiana already work to fight litter. However, the new institute will connect the existing efforts.

“The LSU Litter Institute will bring together expertise in social studies, economics, education, law, public administration, engineering, environmental science, nonprofit management, and more to solve this global problem,” said Robert Twilley, vice president of research and economic development at LSU.

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