How You Can Do Your Part During the Holidays and Be Litter-Free While Traveling

This holiday season, as you head out with the family to visit loved ones and celebrate, add one more important item to your holiday checklist: keeping Texas litter-free. Whether it’s packing reusable travel kits, teaching the kids to keep the car clean, or simply disposing of trash in proper bins, there are countless small actions we all can take to make a big difference. By making mindful choices to reduce waste and dispose of trash properly, we can help continue the mission of Don’t mess with Texas to keep our highways clean. Let’s dive into some simple, effective ways to keep Texas litter-free this season.

Holiday Road Trips

As families hit the road this holiday season, making sustainability part of the journey is important. Gas stations and rest stops provide perfect opportunities for travelers to throw out trash and organic material into their proper receptacles.

Families can reduce waste by opting for reusable items, such as non-disposable containers for meals and snacks, reusable coffee cups, and refillable water bottles. During stops, refilling water bottles and rinsing snack containers helps keep vehicles tidy and prevents litter that could end up on our roads.

Keep Texas Litter-Free While on the Go

Toss a reusable litter bag in your car to keep things in order and ensure that no trash escapes onto the roads and highways. Not only does this help keep your vehicle organized, but it’s also an easy way to show Texas pride by contributing to a cleaner, litter-free state.

If you’re hauling anything in the back of a truck, it’s necessary to secure your load properly to prevent litter from escaping onto the roads. Especially during the holiday season, when more Texans are traveling to visit loved ones or shopping for gifts, it’s important to secure any loads you’re hauling. Using tarps or straps to tie down loose items keeps them from flying out and turning into litter that clutters our highways.

Even lightweight materials like cardboard or aluminum cans can easily be swept away by the wind, creating an unnecessary mess on our beautiful Texas roads. Taking a few moments to secure your cargo helps protect fellow drivers and keeps our highways clean and safe for everyone.

Litter-Free Gifting for Road Travelers

Practical gift giving is now fun! This year, these gifts are a good way to make those you love happy and help keep our state’s roads and highways litter-free.

Personalized Reusable Water Bottles

Give the gift of sustainability and convenience by offering personalized reusable water bottles. Not only are these bottles stylish and customizable with names, designs or meaningful messages, but they also provide a practical way to reduce reliance on single-use plastic bottles, which often end up as litter along highways and in natural areas.

Travel-Sized Car Trash Bags

A practical and thoughtful gift, travel-sized car trash bags are perfect for helping drivers and passengers keep their vehicles clean while preventing litter from ending up on the roads. These compact, easy-to-attach bags can be hung from the back of a seat or secured in a convenient spot in the car, providing an accessible place to dispose of trash during road trips, daily commutes or family outings.

Reusable Snack Containers
 A thoughtful and practical gift, reusable containers are perfect for road trips, helping travelers reduce waste and avoid the need for disposable packaging. These durable containers can be used to pack snacks, sandwiches or full meals, offering an alternative to single-use plastic bags, wrappers or Styrofoam boxes that often end up as litter on highways.

Collapsible Reusable Shopping Bags
Compact and convenient, collapsible reusable shopping bags make an ideal gift for anyone who values practicality while traveling. These space-saving bags fold neatly into a small pouch, making them easy to store in a glove compartment, backpack or purse, ensuring they’re always on hand when needed. They are perfect for road trips, grocery runs or souvenir shopping, reducing the need for plastic bags, which often end up as litter along highways and in natural areas.

Car Seat Back Organizers
Keep cars tidy with organizers featuring dedicated compartments for trash disposal, making it easy to manage waste while traveling. These organizers help prevent clutter and ensure that trash is contained, promoting a cleaner and more organized ride.

As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how our actions can make a difference. By being consciouswhile traveling to visit loved ones and to the fun of gift giving, our choices can help us contribute to a litter-free Texas. Let’s work together to ensure this holiday season is filled with joy, care and a commitment to keeping Texas clean for everyone. Remember, Don’t mess with Texas means don’t litter — and it starts with all of us!