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Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell and NDOT Launch a New Anti-Litter Campaign at Smith Springs Community Center in Antioch
by Rich and Laura Lynch
The Mayor's Spring Clean is an annual event hosted by the Mayor's Office and NDOT - in partnership with District Beautification Commissioners and Metro Council Members. This year - Spring Clean 2025 was celebrated on Saturday, March 29th - and it featured a notable recycling and reinvention of a 50-year-old anti-litter campaign for added effect and impact on efforts to beautify the region and keep it that way.
Freddie got things moving on the anti-litter front in Antioch in March.
The day kicked off in Antioch where Freddie O'Connell, Mayor of Metropolitan Nashville & Davidson County, came to the Smith Springs Community Center to officially launch a countywide anti-litter campaign. This initiative aims for solutions to keep community streets, neighborhoods and parks cleaner, greener and healthier for all. It meant a lot to locals that the Mayor chose to give his speech in a town that has often felt underserved by Davidson County thus implying that this campaign is for people who live outside of downtown Nashville along with a commitment to invest more in Antioch.
During the kick-off - both Mayor Freddie and Diana Alarcon, Director of NDOT reminded attendees that litter can negatively impact property values and tourism. Plus, it is costly to cleanup. It also decreases community morale which implies people don't care which can unwittingly invite more crime to an area. Litter adds to air, soil and water pollution which adversely impacts animals and plants. It creates health hazards by attracting pests and trash can contribute to feelings of depression so there are plenty of reasons to support the Mayor's proposal.
Council Member Tasha Ellis and Trashley were on site to make a difference in District 29.
The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure - (NDOT's) comprehensive litter prevention program - includes efforts to change culture, conduct clean-ups, raise public awareness and work together to beatify our communities. The star of this campaign is a litterbug that we love to hate - Trashley who is played by local musician and actress Jenny Littleton.
In the new promotional video just released we learn that Trashley is the daughter of the infamous TDOT Tennessee Trash Man from the 1970's TV ad and like her father she leaves garbage in her wake. The goal is for us to show Trashley that litter does not belong in any Nashville neighborhood and that started in Antioch when she threw trash and swag on the crowd at Smith Springs while singing a song designed to incite disgust at the ongoing pollution seen in and around Davidson County.
In addition to the announcement, multiple clean-ups and other community events were taking place throughout the region. In Antioch, there was a Bulk Item Drop-Off set-up at Compton's Foodland for residents to dispose of unwanted items, shred documents and donate clothes. This successful event was organized by District 29 Council Member Tasha Ellis, District 29 Beautification Commissioner (and N2N Board Member) Greg Dunigan, NDOT, ThriftSmart, KnightHorst, Compton's Foodland and made possible by local volunteers including R.E.C kids from Smith Springs and Old Hickory Community Center as well as NAZA funded Afterschool Program Nashville After Zone Alliance.
District 29 Beautification Commissioner Greg Dunigan led the clean-up at Compton's.
We had an opportunity to speak with the passionate and personable Tasha Ellis who is hoping to build on this momentum in the coming months with long lasting initiatives to improve Antioch - especially in the area of litter prevention, awareness and education. In recent years, major industries have invested in the area such as the upscale Tanger Outlets which will soon be the home of Tiger Wood's Pop Stroke. Plus, the Nashville Soccer Club has built their practice facility here and the former Global Crossing Mall is being upgraded to a multi-use structure that is already anchored by the Predators' Ford Ice Center.
So now is the time to "Make Antioch Awesome" by supporting our council members who are working hard to improve the community and let us be a part of this countywide anti-litter campaign to make Antioch - and all of Nashville - an even more beautiful place to live and work!
The Bulk Item Drop-Off was a success as was the enthusiastic turnout at Smith Springs Community Center.
Related Links:
For more information on the SPRING CLEAN and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links -
Mayor Freddie O'Connell |
Nashville.gov Litter Prevention and Community Beautification |
Councilmember Tasha Ellis, District 29 |
Neighbor 2 Neighbor
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