Support the Marion County Litter Control

The No Horsin’ Around with Marion Anti-Litter Campaign

The anti-litter campaign is the result of discussion by the Litter Task Force initiative. Meetings of the Litter Task Force initiative are held weekly on Mondays at 4 p.m. at the Marion County Growth Services Training Room (2710 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala) and are open to the public. Commissioner Craig Curry will serve as liaison to the task force and will provide updates as to the group’s progress. The purpose of the task force was to “enlist the entire community in an effort to eradicate litter and illegal dumping, while changing the mindset and behavior of those that live, work, and play within Marion County.”

Some highlights from the anti-litter campaign include many items to help eradicate litter in Marion County. This includes the creation of two mascots (Rubbish and Debrie), a litter-free pledge, billboards, bus wraps, and informational QR code cards to educate the public. Another significant portion of the campaign includes an initiative with Marion County Public Schools to help educate the community on the negative affects litter has on our environment.

Additionally, the new campaign is backed by the Marion County Commission, who established a uniform procedure for managing the new stricter Ordinance 22-30 related to litter and junk among all enforcement officers and departments. In coordination with the State Attorney, the County Attorney and the Sheriff’s Attorney, the County Administrator’s office drafted the policy which provides for the training and qualifications of all Marion County non-law-enforcement employees who are designated to enforce this ordinance.

The Litter movement has also spread to the business community. Businesses are encouraged to do their part in helping to spread the anti-littering message for Marion County. Marion County invites our community to step up, pick it up, and don’t litter to help keep Marion beautiful for generations to come. The full presentation, action items and policy related to the ordinance, as well as the Litter-Free pledge can all be found at: www.marionfl.org/nohorsinaround.com.