We like an idea floated this week by Commissioner Raymond Cummings that Robeson County explore the possibility of establishing a “litter court,” which would only hear the cases of people charged with trashing this county, which has consequences that are easy to underestimate.

Cummings, who last year spearheaded an effort that led to the creation of the Clean and Green steering committee, of which he is now chairman, told fellow committee members on Tuesday that he would speak to the county attorney about that possibility, to see if there are hurdles to be cleared. We could be missing something, but believe the establishment of a litter court could be easily achieved — perhaps just set a day aside each month during which a District Court judge could plow through the cases, dispensing the obvious sentence of clearing our roads of litter for those who are found guilty.

What is also needed is for our law enforcement officers to begin taking the problem of littering seriously, and charging people with the misdemeanor. We understand that in this county there are higher crimes that need the attention of sheriff’s deputies, police officers and highway patrolmen, but we don’t know why that would preclude them from sounding the siren and issuing a ticket when they see trash flying out of a car window.

A county only gets one chance to make a first impression, and professionals considering living here, be that doctors, lawyers, educators or business executives, can’t be impressed by the trashiness. The same is true when industry comes looking for a place to set up shop and create badly needed jobs in our economically struggling area. We don’t need to give professionals or industries a reason not to take a second look.

A drive around Robeson County suggests that the anti-litter campaign never gained traction and has fizzled, but we were impressed with some of the update information shared with the committee by Kristina Cummings, recycling coordinator for the Robeson County Solid Waste Department. She said that more than 400 letters have been sent to churches and merchants encouraging them to participate in litter abatement programs, that there have been numerous community events highlighting the problem, and that there have been plenty of roadside cleanups held by various groups.

She said that since July 1 of last year, when the anti-litter campaign was launched, more than 45 tons of trash have been removed from Robeson County roadways and taken to the county landfill in organized cleanups. It is hard for us to put that number in context, but it sounds like a lot of garbage — and although many of our county roads still look trashy, imagine how they would look if not for the removal of that 90,000 pounds of trash.

The recent rains that have flooded our ditches have pushed a lot of litter back into eyesight, reminding us of the extent of the problem and bringing it within easy reach for those willing to help with the cleanup. But as we have often said, a less-trashy county doesn’t really need a lot of effort, it simply requires that people be diligent and not toss their trash on the roadside.

For those who do, we hope to see them in court.