 Hello and welcome to the Fort Report. I'm Chris Connolly. And I'm Alicia Woodruff. The weather in Texas is finally warming up and many of us are wanting to spend some time outside but there's a problem. And what would that be Chris? Some people who will go unnamed have made quite a mess out there. I quite agree. Earth Day is coming up so now is the time to join in the nation's single largest community improvement program. The 26th annual Cow Town Great American Cleanup on April 2nd. In my opinion, nothing could have prevented this freak of nature which descended upon us. Last year, 4700 volunteers collected 86,000 pounds of litter and debris. Organizers are hoping to top that this year. Registration is now open. That's 43 tons. Know what else weighs 43 tons? What? An adult hump back well. Know what else? No. What? A train engine. Huh. Know what else? I get it Chris. 10,299 gallons of milk. We're never going to get this done in two minutes. Now let's move from paper to plastic. Plastic bags often carry a recycling symbol but they are not recyclable in the Fort Worth Residential Recycling Program. Most plastic bags are made from the same kind of plastic as milk jugs, which can be recycled. But unlike its more rigid cousin, a plastic bag can get stuck in the vast neck work of conveyor belts needed to sort the 43 tons of recyclables Fort Worth collects annually. 43 tons. Combine bags from all the households in Fort Worth and you have a recipe for jammed equipment and a costly halt to the sorting process. We can't afford to experiment with expensive gadgets. Why is it that number again? Apart from not putting these bags in your recycling cart, the best thing you can do is to just not use them. Many retailers offer reusable bags for around a dollar each and they hold more items than the standard plastic grocery bag. On top of that, several local grocers give rebates for bringing your own bags so they pay for themselves over time. You know what else weighs 43 tons? Stop it. Can't remember if you registered to vote? With election season coming up, this may be something you want to check into right away. The Texas voter information website not only confirms whether you're registered to vote or not, but will even allow you to search for local polling places prior to the election. And if you know that you're not registered, then please use the informal online application service link provided on the home page. With that, our two minutes are up. But you can always find out more about what is going on in Caltown by going to the city's website at www.fortworthgov.org. And you can follow the Fort Report on the city's Twitter and Facebook for all of Chris's many outtakes. Sell me out, why don't you?