UNCW students, volunteers to hold Halloween roadside cleanup on Oct. 31

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Plastic Ocean Project and UNCW POP will host a Halloween-themed roadside cleanup on Oct. 31 along Highway 421 in New Hanover County.

The Adopt-A-Highway cleanup is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon near Cape Fear Catamarans. Organizers are inviting students and community members to volunteer, and costumes are welcome.

The cleanup will focus on collecting litter and debris along the highway near the route to the New Hanover County landfill. Organizers say unsecured trash can scatter along the roadway, creating environmental concerns and potential hazards for drivers.

Roadside litter can also enter storm drains and waterways, eventually reaching the ocean and affecting wildlife.

Plastic Ocean Project helped establish the UNCW POP chapter in 2015. The organizations say the event will bring students and community members together to help keep local roadsides and waterways clean.