History of New Mexico Clean and Beautiful

How did New Mexico Clean & Beautiful get its start?  What is New Mexico Clean & Beautiful’s mission and what does this statewide program do?

Recognizing that the proliferation and accumulation of litter discarded throughout the state constitutes a public nuisance and damages the economy of the state by making it less attractive to tourists and newcomers, the New Mexico Clean and Beautiful (NMCB) program was created through the Litter Control and Beautification Act of 1985.

The program is a part of the New Mexico Tourism Department.  New Mexico Clean & Beautiful is charged with eliminating litter from the state to the maximum practical extent and the primary duty is to allocate funds generated by the Litter Control and Beautification Act, derived from a $.50 motor vehicle registration fee, to communities and Keep New Mexico Beautiful, Inc.

The New Mexico Clean & Beautiful program operates with two full-time employees: an Executive Director and an Assistant Director.  As the state Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (KAB) affiliate program, NMCB provides leadership through the coordination of events, such as statewide cleanups e.g., Great American Cleanup, and Trek for Trash.  Promotional materials such as trash bags, litterbags, t-shirts, etc., are also provided to the communities for their programs.  In addition, the New Mexico Clean & Beautiful program also manages a public awareness campaign statewide.