Don’t Mess with Texas... Inside the Greatest Litter Campaign of All Time

Don’t Mess with Texas. To those of us who do not reside in the Lonestar State, this Texas motto is a cultural icon that attracts tourists and indicates state pride. But to those living in the great state of Texas, this motto is also representative of something much greater than a slogan on T-shirts and bumper stickers. Rather, “Don’t Mess with Texas” represents the most successful litter campaign of all time that continues to significantly reduce litter and keep the state of Texas beautiful.

In 1985, officials within the Texas Highway Commission and Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) faced a big problem. They were spending upwards of 20 million dollars annually to clean up litter from Texas highways, and the litter was increasing every year.  State officials realized that males between the ages of 18 and 35 were the most likely to litter, and sought to create a campaign to reduce litter that targeted their demographic. This is when the slogan “Don’t Mess with Texas” was born. Officials introduced the slogan to the TXDOT board in 1985, and luckily, the motto was approved, because it soon grew to be much more than a slogan to reduce litter on highways; it soon exploded into a cultural trademark.

First, bumper stickers with the motto were introduced in 1985. Then, the statewide advertising campaign was launched in 1986, which featured the motto “Don’t Mess with Texas” on large road signs adjacent to major highways and in television/radio/print advertisements and commercials. These commercials and Public Service Announcements featured numerous celebrities who were all Texas natives and the campaign soon became more popular and influential than anyone could have believed.

Within four years, the campaign reduced litter along Texas roadways by 72%. The advertising campaign, “Don’t Mess with Texas,” became a cultural phenomenon that would have lasting impacts for decades.  See, the campaign acts as a source of pride for residents of the Lonestar state and as a way for residents to join together to achieve something worthwhile. Even better, the campaign acts as an exemplar for other environmental campaigns of this caliber.  The state of Texas took one big problem, found one great solution, and made their state even greater as a result. The “Don’t Mess with Texas” campaign easily achieved it’s original objective of reducing litter among roadways in Texas and has kept litter off of Texas roads for 25 years with more to come. Other states facing similar problems should aspire to solve their environmental problems as smoothly, successfully, and as permanently as Texas did.

Author-Wendy Waste Reducer