DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County property owner says he is tired of picking up trash that people leave behind near his home.
Trey Hollingsworth, who lives near the corner of Flat Shoals Road and Battle Forest Drive, says he has spent the past 10 years regularly cleaning up litter from his property.
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He estimates he picks up two 13-gallon bags of trash every week.
“Diapers are common. I hate picking up a diaper,” Hollingsworth said.
He says he has found all kinds of debris, including syringes.
Hollingsworth initially tried using commercially purchased “Don’t Litter” signs to discourage people from throwing trash on the ground.
But he says the litter continued to pile up.
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“I continued to get more trash, more buildup, and I let that sit for about six months ‘til I had enough,” he said.
That’s when Hollingsworth decided to make his own signs.
He began painting messages and placing them in his yard where drivers could see them.
“They’re pretty bold, and they’re out there,” Hollingsworth said.
Some of the messages contain profanity, but Hollingsworth says the signs appear to be helping, at least somewhat.
He says DeKalb County recently sent crews to the area after Channel 2’s Eryn Rogers asked about the litter problem.
The DeKalb County Department of Solid Waste Management sent the following statement:
<i>“The DeKalb County Department of Solid Waste Management takes residents’ concerns about litter, illegal signage, and other issues affecting the appearance of our communities seriously. Once the department was made aware of these concerns, a Beautification Unit team was dispatched the same day to conduct a litter patrol, remove debris and litter from the area, and take down illegal signs on the public right-of-way. </i>
<i>The department remains committed to responding to residents’ concerns and helping ensure that DeKalb County’s communities are clean, well-maintained, and aesthetically pleasing." </i>
— DeKalb County Department of Solid Waste Management
Hollingsworth said the county crew removed the litter and also took down his signs.
He has since put the signs back up, saying he believes they are needed to discourage people from dumping trash.
He also wants the county to consider moving an existing litter sign at the intersection because he believes it isn’t visible enough.
“That county sign, you can’t see it when you’re driving up. It needs to be towards the road,” he said.
Hollingsworth would also like to see a camera installed at the intersection to help identify people who litter.
“Right now, the maximum fine here is $1,000, but if you can’t catch them, what are you going to do?” Hollingsworth said.
For now, Hollingsworth says he will continue cleaning up the trash and trying to get people to stop littering.
“I’m just trying to make some change in this hood,” he said.
DeKalb County officials said they are checking into whether the existing county sign can be moved to make it more visible.
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