When we ask readers what they are concerned about in the city, one of the most common responses is litter.

Exhibit A: “Why is this city the trashiest? There is litter everywhere and makes our city look trashy.”

Exhibit B: “Why is the town so DAMN dirty!”

There was some more well-deserved cursing in that second message, so you get the idea — people see trash piling up around the Scenic City, and they don’t like it.

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The challenge

We don’t like the trash either, so we’re issuing a challenge for you to help clean up the city.

When you’re walking from your car to your office or you're coming out of the bar after last call and you see a piece of trash, pick it up + throw it away. 🗑

If every one of you reading this picks up one piece of trash a day that’s nearly 20,000 a day.
We did some math — that’s 140,000 pieces of trash off the streets weekly.
If you all did it every single day for a year, that’s 7.3 million — yes, million — pieces of litter that are not in Chattanooga.
That’s part one of the challenge — pick up trash. Part two is to show off to inspire others.
Take a photo of yourself doing this simple, but intentional act and tag us on Instagram, Twitter + Facebook or use #NOOGAtoday. #PicsOrItDidntHappen

Our hope is that in six months or a year, we are able to put together a giant collage of people all over Chattanooga doing something small that can have a big impact + you know we’re going to be doing it ourselves, too.

If you want to take it a little farther, GreenSteps and Chattanooga Park Steward’s Volunteer Program are other great ways to help keep the Scenic City beautiful.

The commitment