YOUNGSVILLE — An excess of litter building up on roadsides has captured the public’s attention, but experts say that garbage doesn’t just look gross — it can harm the environment, pull down property values and land litter bugs a stiff fine.

State government crews removed more than 976,000 pounds of trash from North Carolina roadways in March, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation. Since Jan. 1, they’ve picked up more than 2.15 million pounds. The department spent nearly $22 million in 2019 picking up litter.

“There’s a lot more work to do, and we could currently use help from citizens who can do their part by disposing of trash properly or volunteering during our upcoming Spring Litter Sweep,” said Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette in a statement.

The Spring Litter Sweep is scheduled for April 10-24 statewide this year. Volunteers will be provided with trash bags, gloves and safety vests.

Some people couldn’t wait until April, though, such as Randy Pologrunto and Karl Komski, who spearheaded the Greater Youngsville Cleanup Day on Saturday. More than 70 volunteers took to the streets to help clean up during what is hoped to become an annual event.

“We decided to be proactive and organize an event for the community ourselves,” Komski said. “The beautification of any community is paramount to people’s impression of that community whether it’s someone coming in to eat at one of our eateries, enjoy a beer at our local craft brewer or wanting to purchase a home. Those things resonate.”

Trash can impact home values, according to real estate agents Jim and Lori Hill.

“In places where areas are devastated by the amount of trash thrown out their windows, it brings down property values,” Jim said. “People see that and don’t want to pay as much.”

According to a survey from Keep America Beautiful, 93% of homeowners said litter decreases their assessment of a home’s value. The National Association of Home Builders’ pricing model shows that liter decreases property values by around 7%.

Lori added that trash also hurts when people move from other states. They may only have one impression of a place when they’re looking for somewhere to live, she said.

When the Hills moved from Michigan around 15 years ago, the area was spotless, they said. That helped give them a positive impression. Jim said he didn’t know why trash had picked up so much.

“It also literally affects the future,” Lori said. “I don’t think people understand the impact.”

Cigarette butts can last for up to a decade before they degrade entirely, she said.

The appearance of trash was so important for Amy Karlgut of Burnt Barrel that she bought 60 volunteers lunch Saturday.

“It really affects everybody,” Karlgut said. “It puts us as a town in the best light to be as clean as possible, especially with more traffic coming into the heart of Youngsville. We want to be seen with our best foot forward.”

While Komski and Pologrunto plan cleanup as an annual event, they hope it becomes more than that.

“Our real hope is that we might not need an event for people to want to pick up trash,” Pologrunto said. “Maybe it’ll become a habit of taking a family walk on the weekend and picking up some trash without having to have an event.”

He was heartened by families who attended together.

“You’re teaching your children how to respect nature and their environment,” he said.

Karen Perez-Kuryla brought her children with her to the litter pickup Saturday.

“I’m tired of seeing it on the sides of the road,” Perez-Kuryla said. “It’s disheartening any time I drive anywhere.”

While they live in Youngsville, she’s taken her kids to Franklinton and other areas of Franklin County to participate in litter pickups, Perez-Kuryla said.

“Anything we can do to help other people not litter,” she said. “If they see it looking nice, maybe they won’t throw stuff out the windows.”

That seems to be true, according to both Komski and the N.C. DOT.

“The more you keep it clean, the more people see that cleanliness and won’t be inclined to soil it,” Komski said. “When it’s dirty, people have less of an interest in keeping it clean.”

Littering is illegal in North Carolina. People can be fined or face community service for littering, regardless of whether they mean to. The law caps the fine at $1,000 for intentional littering with up to 24 hours of community service. Unintentional littering can cost up to $100 and 12 hours of community service.

The Swat-a-Litterbug Program has been around for 30 years and allows people to report others for littering. Recently, the N.C. DOT introduced a new app to report littering, in addition to its online and phone reporting options. Visit ncdot.gov/litter for more information.

Most litter is unintentional, Boyette said. People should secure loads before driving to keep trash from flying from their vehicle.

The N.C. DOT also recommends people keep a litter bag or trash can in their vehicle to store trash until they get somewhere they can throw it away properly.