September 19, 2007

CONTACT:
Brenda Flores-Dollar, TxDOT, 512-486-5904
Kelli Johnson, EnviroMedia Social Marketing, 512-476-4368, ext. 310

Don’t Mess with Texas Taps “Litter Force” to Help Lead Generation of Non-Litterers
New research reveals 83 percent of Texas first-graders
think litterers should get “time-out”

(AUSTIN, TEXAS) — Superheroes are swinging into Texas as part of a statewide pilot program aimed at teaching children not to litter.

The Don’t Mess with Texas program is unveiling its Litter Force campaign complete with a new team of animated, litter-fighting superheroes. The litter prevention program will launch in five pilot markets and is designed especially with elementary school kids in mind.

The campaign, by the Texas Department of Transportation, consists of animated TV ads, a new Web site, online banner ads promoting the site to parents and outreach with mascots.

“It’s easier to prevent a behavior than change one,” said Doris Howdeshell, Travel Division Director for

TxDOT. “If we start young, we believe we can prevent kids from ever taking up the littering habit. Our ultimate goal is for Texas to raise a generation of non-litterers.”

A Litter Force Near You
TxDOT is partnering with Keep Texas Beautiful affiliates to bring the Litter Force campaign to the pilot markets. Five pilot markets were selected to receive the Litter Force message: Austin, Lubbock, McAllen, Midland-Odessa and Tyler-Longview.

Starting in October, the Litter Force outreach team will visit one or two school districts in each of these markets. Litter Force characters will meet students on campus, perform an interactive play and will leave behind educational campaign materials including an activity book, litterbags and trash can decals for the schools.

TxDOT has also launched a new, interactive Litter Force Web site for kids (www.dontmesswithtexas.org/litterforce) that features games, downloadable coloring pages and desktop wallpapers. The Web site also includes a section for parents and teachers.

Plans for the Future
TxDOT plans to monitor the students in the pilot markets over time to gauge the impact of the litter prevention message. To test the effectiveness of the campaign, researchers will measure understanding of litter and litter prevention among children in pilot markets and compare results against children in other parts of the state who are not receiving the Litter Force message.

“We plan to stick with this group of kids as they grow up and eventually graduate from high school, keeping their attention and hopefully getting them to become so proud of our state that they never litter in the future,” said Howdeshell. “We’d love to be able to say these Texas kids are part of a litter-free class.”

Research Tells All About Kids and Littering
Since 1998, TxDOT has used research to develop targeted, comprehensive campaigns to reach Texans in the most effective way. The Litter Force campaign is no different.

In May, Baselice and Associates, Inc., a national research organization, conducted a written survey of 1,248 first graders in the pilot markets. The findings allowed TxDOT to better understand what Texas kids currently know and think about littering:

For fun, researchers asked the children if they think litterers should get time-out; not surprisingly, 83 percent said they support that litter prevention tactic.

• 20 percent of Texas first-graders admit to littering
• Only half (53 percent) know the correct meaning of Don’t Mess with Texas. (The slogan means “don’t litter.”)
• One quarter do not know what litter is.
• 30 percent say their parents litter
• 65 percent are willing to tell their parents to use a litterbag.

Who is Litter Force?
The Litter Force consists of Hawk (the group’s leader), Ultra (a modern-day Super Girl), Bolt (who can hear litter hit the ground from miles away) and K-900 (the group’s faithful companion who is half-bulldog, half-robot).

The characters reflect the most problematic litter on Texas roadsides. According to TxDOT’s last Visible Litter Study, an analysis of litter on Texas rights-of-way, tobacco accounted for 33 percent of litter, food accounted for 29 percent and non-alcoholic beverage cups and cans accounted for 11 percent.

A group of six characters called Evil Trash serves as their adversaries — they are litter personified. Characters include Chipinator (a chip bag who leads the group), Madam Gum (who flings gum wads on the ground), Pop Top (who fires tabs that grow into new cans) and Ciggy Butts (the biggest outcast, who sends ashes about).

About Don’t Mess with Texas
Don't Mess with Texas has been educating Texans about litter prevention since 1986. TxDOT’s litter prevention program includes Adopt-a-Highway and a grassroots partnership with Keep Texas Beautiful. Don’t Mess with Texas activities also include a spring “Trash-Off,” community outreach, a scholarship and a corporate partner program. For more information, visit www.DontMessWithTexas.org. TxDOT’s goals are to reduce congestion, enhance safety, expand economic opportunity, improve air quality and increase the value of transportation assets. For more information, visit www.dot.state.tx.us.