BATON ROUGE, La. — Removing litter from waterways not only makes them cleaner, it makes them safer and healthier. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (Louisiana Blue) has partnered with Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) to share this message during the inaugural Love Our Waterways initiative.
“We’re proud of our beautiful rivers and lakes that make our home state ‘Sportsman’s Paradise.’ But if we want to make sure future generations can enjoy these natural waterways, then it’s important we do our part to keep them clean and free of litter,” said Dr. Larry Simon, senior medical director at Louisiana Blue. “Approximately 80% of litter in the waterways started on land. Once it gets into the water, it causes pollution that can be toxic to marine life and a safety hazard for swimmers and boaters.”
Dr. Simon added that by taking small steps to throw away trash and collect recycling on land, we can keep waterways clean. “Once litter gets into the waterways, it tends to break down into smaller pieces that are harder to spot and dispose of,” he said. “If we pick up that litter when we see it on land, then we’re preventing it from ever reaching the water. We’re also avoiding blocked waterway drainage, which can lead to spillover and cause flooding during hurricanes or severe rain.”
Louisiana Blue has been a sponsor and supporter of Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s Love the Boot Week since it began five years ago. Team Blue volunteers are participating in events around the state during September for the first Love Our Waterways cleanup effort.
“We know that cleaner communities are healthier communities because families have places to safely spend time together, get exercise and be outdoors and off screens,” Dr. Simon said. “Supporting statewide cleanup initiatives like Love the Boot Week and Love Our Waterways is an important way we fulfill our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. While we’re raising awareness of the importance of litter removal during September, we encourage everyone to be mindful of this all year long.”
Keep Louisiana Beautiful and Louisiana Blue encourage all Louisianians to be part of cleaning up the state’s 14,500 mile waterway system this September. Visit keeplouisianabeautiful.org to sign up for an event or register a cleanup event near you.
About Keep Louisiana Beautiful
Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) is a state program under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Department of Culture, Recreation, & Tourism promoting personal, corporate, and community responsibility for a clean and beautiful Louisiana. KLB supports local communities through programs and resources for litter education, prevention, removal, enforcement, beautification, recycling, waste reduction, and sustainability initiatives. KLB is affiliated with the national organization, Keep America Beautiful, and is supported by a robust statewide network of Community, University, and Community College Affiliates. Learn more at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org.
About Louisiana Blue
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, or Louisiana Blue, is committed to our mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians. Founded in New Orleans in 1934, we are a taxpaying, not-for-profit health insurer with offices in every major region of Louisiana to serve our customers. We have been recognized for the past eight years as an honoree of The Civic 50, named by Points of Light as one of the 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. Louisiana Blue also was nationally recognized for exceptional customer service by USA Today’s America’s Best Customer Service 2025.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. We invite all Louisianians to visit our website at lablue.com or talk to us on social media @MyLouisianaBlue. Louisiana Blue members can use the MyLABlue app and digital platform to easily and securely access their health plan information anytime, anywhere. Sign up for MyLABlue at lablue.com, with the MyLABlue mobile app or link it through an existing MyChart account.
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