Texas hasn’t always been regarded as an environmentally-minded state.

Glenn Shankle, the executive director of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, resigned from his post April 2. Asher Price, a reporter and blogger for the Austin-American Statesman, wrote the agency had been criticized by environmental groups and watchdogs for being too comfortable with industry. Shankle had served on the commission since 1995.

The U.S. government has long been criticized by various environmental groups for not having stricter standards. These organizations and nonprofits have been a major resource in organizing-grassroots cleanup efforts. Keep America Beautiful kicked off its three-month long 24th annual Great American Cleanup March 1. The initiative continues through May 31, but one of the highlights of the cleanup is the Don’t Mess With Texas Trash-Off, which will be held April 5.

According to a press release from Keep Texas Beautiful, 131,000 Texans collected more than 14 million pounds of litter, debris and waste over the three months of the Great American Cleanup in 2007. The current population of Texas is more than 22 million, which means only about 0.6 percent of Texans volunteer in the initiative. Data indicates every person creates roughly 4.5 pounds of trash a day. So in one day, the state of Texas creates 99 million pounds of trash, which is a dramatic comparison to the amount collected by volunteers during the Great American Cleanup. But at least the intentions are there. It’s just a matter of getting more people, particularly the government, involved.

Obviously the Texas government is working on environmental issues, but critics say the state should be doing more to become greener and a more responsible steward of the environment because of its population and size. It’s one reason why critics of Shankle say he is gone. However, local governments are stepping in to do their part. The City of Austin unveiled an initiative April 2 in conjunction with major retailers to reduce the use of plastic bags. The Statesman reported Progressive Bag Affiliates, an organization representing plastic bag manufacturers, supports the Austin plan, but have been outspoken against a total ban of plastic bags. PBA states 812 million pounds of bags and film were recycled in 2006 — up 24 percent from 2005.