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Local nonprofit Keep the Midlands Beautiful picked up data on visible litter in Richland + Lexington counties and released results from its annual audit.

The study rated 11 areas on a 1-4 scale by assessing 123 random roads. Across both counties, the overall average score was 1.66, generally indicating some visible litter that could be cleaned in a short period of time. While slightly higher than last year's results, this marks an improvement over 2023 and 2022.

The scores can be further broken down by county and area:

1.63 — Richland County's average, based on five areas: Upper Dutchfork (1.33), Blythewood (1.43), Columbia (1.60), Upper Richland (1.83), and Lower Richland (1.95)
1.70 — Lexington County's average, based on six areas: Chapin (1.23), West Columbia (1.44), Irmo (1.63), Rural SW (1.69), Gaston (1.88), and Batesburg-Leesville (2.31)

Keep the Midlands Beautiful relies on the support of 6,000 volunteers each year — you can find opportunities to help online.