Litter

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and volunteer-based education organization Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful (KPB) recently announced the 2024-2025 cohort of “Young Ambassadors of Pennsylvania” – a program launched by the agency in 2021 as a way to grow the next generation of leaders and help keep communities statewide be free of litter.

[Above image via PennDOT]

PennDOT conducted the Pennsylvania Litter Research Study from 2018 through 2019 along with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Keep America Beautiful, and KPB, to determine the impact and removal cost of litter along state roadways – which, at the time, came to $13 million annually for the agency alone and $68 million every year for city governments across the state.

The study also recommended creating a youth education and outreach program to help reduce littering, which resulted in the creation of the “Young Ambassadors” program.

KPB provides education and training to program participants on topics related to the impacts of litter, litter prevention, waste management and recycling, civic engagement and related public policy, volunteer management, and social media marketing.

 “Programs like ‘Young Ambassadors’ are the first step in creating lasting impact on Pennsylvania’s ecological health,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll in a statement. “These students will go on to become decision-makers and steer the state’s green future. Starting now is critical.”

KPB will also be awarding a minimum of two $1000 scholarships to high school seniors involved in the “Young Ambassadors” program, which includes both current and past participants.

“We are proud to welcome this new slate of Young Ambassadors to our program and excited to provide opportunities for them to engage and activate within their own community,” added Shannon Reiter, KPB’s president.

“Together, we will explore and connect with young professionals and like-minded students from not just Pennsylvania, but across the country and make a positive impact in our shared communities,” Reiter said. “We look forward to witnessing the remarkable achievements and positive changes that will emerge from this dynamic group.”

State departments of transportation across the country are involved in a wide variety of litter removal efforts, as well as public awareness campaigns that seek to eliminate roadway littering – in no small part due to the growing cost of roadside cleanup efforts.

The Ohio Department of Transportation, for example, note that it is now spending $10 million annually to collect trash along state and U.S. routes outside municipalities and all interstates except the Ohio Turnpike.

In May, the Utah Department of Transportation launched a new volunteer litter removal program called “Keeping Utah Beautiful” – a program designed to make it easy for members of the public to go online and sign up for a one-time cleanup of state roads.

The agency said these volunteer cleanups will supplement the work of Utah DOT crews who regularly pick up litter statewide. To ensure volunteer safety, “Keeping Utah Beautiful” participants will not clean interstates or some state routes, the Utah DOT stressed – and requires that program volunteers be a minimum of age 14.

That same month, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and Missouri Department of Transportation announced the winners of their respective 2024 “trash” contests; poster-making and trash-can decoration campaigns involving elementary though high school students in order to help raise awareness regarding roadway litter removal needs.

And in July, crews from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development picked up more than 76 tons of roadside litter in one week, earning the department the 2024 Outstanding State Agency award from Keep Louisiana Beautiful or KLB.

The litter removal was part of the KLB “Love the Boot Week,” a statewide event in which groups compete to win the award, which gets its name from Louisiana’s boot-like outline. The agency picked up more litter than any other group during the week in April, cleaning up 152,475 pounds at more than 10 cleanup sites across the state.

Crews from the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development recently picked up more than 76 tons of roadside litter in one week, earning the department the 2024 Outstanding State Agency award from Keep Louisiana Beautiful or KLB.

[Above photo by the Louisiana DOTD]

The litter removal was part of the KLB “Love the Boot Week,” a statewide event in which groups compete to win the award, which gets its name from Louisiana’s boot-like outline. The agency picked up more litter than any other group during the week in April, cleaning up 152,475 pounds at more than 10 cleanup sites across the state.

In a news release announcing the award, Louisiana DOTD noted that its commitment “to tackling litter-related issues extend far beyond “Love the BooT Week.” In 2023, the department budgeted $11.7 million toward picking up litter, proving the activity “is not limited to a single week but is on ongoing responsibility.”

[Editor’s note: the Oklahoma Department of Transportation was one of four Oklahoma state agencies including the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality, and Oklahoma Department of Agriculture Food and Forestry to be receive a national award for its environmental stewardship.]

The agency also noted a reality faced by all state departments of transportation: Litter has environmental and economic consequences.

“The financial investment made by Louisiana DOTD in litter removal each year raises important questions about resource allocation,” the release said. “Each year, money spent on picking up litter could have been used in other critical areas, such as road improvements, maintenance, and overall transportation enhancements.”

KLB Executive Director Susan Russell agreed, saying that as the agency’s primary job is to maintain safe roads and bridges, it shouldn’t have to spend millions of dollars picking up litter.

“People throw stuff out the car window or let it blow out of their truck beds, and you see car parts all over the place after a wreck because no one is holding the tow truck companies accountable,” Russell said. “Then Louisiana DOTD goes out, they pick this stuff up, and it comes right back. It just doesn’t end.”

Louisiana is not alone in combatting litter. The New Mexico Department of Transportation has started a grant program for groups that want to pick up litter. The Utah Department of Transportation recently launched new program for volunteers to sign up online to remove litter. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has formed a partnership with Boy Scouts of America to allow scouts to earn a “Nobody Trashes Tennessee” badge.

The New Mexico Department of Transportation has launched a new grant program to support the development and implementation of local beautification programs, especially for roadway trash removal efforts.

[Above photo by NMDOT]

“The goal of the program is to increase litter pickup in every community, as well as build a culture throughout our state that eliminates littering,” said Ricky Serna, NMDOT secretary, in a statement.  “Litter across New Mexico’s roads is hiding the natural beauty of our state and we all can do better.”

New Mexico municipalities, counties, tribal communities, and entities of government in good standing with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department may apply for the funding, the agency noted.

NMDOT said local governments will be eligible to receive up to $200,000 per award, with this grant program able to support 15 to 20 total awardees in its inaugural year.

The agency added that it expects recipients to receive 100 percent of their grant funding following the execution of the grant agreement and submission of their plan, as it relates to the program goals.

Awardees will receive a year of funding for a coordinator position and supportive budget expenses, the agency said, with the coordinator responsible for designing and implementing a local beautification program. NMDOT stressed that local beautification initiatives receiving grants must follow the agency’s “Que Linda” beautification toolkit, which outlines 11 types of beautification endeavors that are eligible for grant funds under this new program.

Other state departments of transportation across the country are involved in similar efforts to jump-start local litter removal and related beautification efforts.

For example, in October 2023, cities and local agencies throughout California received $114.5 million in grants to help fund 60 litter removal as well as neighborhoods and public space beautification projects.

That funding includes $14.5 million set aside specifically to support 18 projects for cleaning transit stations and other areas around the state’s public transportation systems.

Those grants represent the latest round of funding from the “Clean California” initiative; a sweeping billion-dollar multi-year clean-up effort led by the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, to remove trash and help to revitalize public spaces in local communities statewide.

Meanwhile, in February 2023, the Washington State Department of Transportation – in coordination with the city of Des Moines – provided a “much-needed makeover” to a popular 14-acre green space along Barnes Creek; an area used by local residents for a variety of outdoor activities.

The agency described this particular green space in a blog post as a “well-loved unofficial neighborhood trail” where people are often seen walking their dogs, running, or enjoying nature with their families.

This natural corridor includes a series of wetlands along Barnes Creek that have been degraded over time by invasive plants.

Back on the East Coast, the Tennessee Department of Transportation celebrated the 40th anniversary of its “Litter Grant Program” in July 2023. That program – started in 1983 – provides funding to all 95 counties within the state to pay for a wide variety of litter-related efforts, such as litter and tarp law enforcement; cleanup and recycling events; and litter prevention education campaigns.

Those funds also help county governments participate in multijurisdictional and statewide collaborations with Tennessee DOT’s “Nobody Trashes Tennessee” litter prevention campaign, conducted jointly with Keep Tennessee Beautiful and its local affiliates.

Collectively, the agency’s litter grant program is responsible for removing an average of 11,243 tons of roadway trash annually and, in 2022 alone, nearly 29 percent of that statewide total was diverted from landfills and recycled. Additionally, 3,480 illegal dumpsites were cleaned up. All told, more than 435,529 tons of litter have been removed from Tennessee roadways since the program’s inception four decades ago, Tennessee DOT said.

The program’s impact is further amplified through local government partners that invest additional resources in trash cleanup and removal, as well as by individuals who contribute tens of thousands of volunteer hours. This makes the program extremely efficient, saving communities and the state critical funds when compared to the costs of contracted litter pickup.

The Nobody Trashes Tennessee litter prevention campaign operated by the Tennessee Department of Transportation has expanded its youth group partnerships with the addition of all six Boy Scouts of America councils in Tennessee to the program – allowing scouts the opportunity to earn a Nobody Trashes Tennessee or NTT patch.

[Above photo by the Tennessee DOT]

The Boy Scouts join Tennessee’s three Girl Scout councils, as well as additional youth groups, in offering the NTT patch, the agency noted.

“Boy Scouts are known for their commitment to community and partnering with Nobody Trashes Tennessee underscores their dedication to instilling values of environmental stewardship, civic responsibility, and leadership in young people,” said Brittany Morris of Tennessee DOT’s Beautification Office in a statement. “We are thrilled to have participation from all six councils representing the state.”

Boy Scouts of all ages have multiple ways to earn the patch by completing Nobody Trashes Tennessee educational worksheets and participating in litter cleanups in their community, coordinating their own cleanup in their neighborhood or school grounds, or through existing beautification and service projects.

For Boy Scouts ages 12 and older, the agency said its Adopt-A-Highway program is an opportunity to earn both a patch and a roadway recognition panel for committing to quarterly pickups. Patches are provided by Nobody Trashes Tennessee at no cost to the councils or individual scouts.

“Community service is woven into the fabric of our program,” added Casey Norwood, CEO and Scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America’s Chickasaw Council. “I believe the goals of the Nobody Trashes Tennessee campaign align well with our Scouts giving back to the communities in which we all love and live.”

State departments of transportation across the country are involved in a variety of litter cleanup and removal efforts. 

For example, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is gearing up for its annual “Spring Litter Sweep” event, to be held April 13-27 statewide.

The Spring Litter Sweep – one of NCDOT’s many roadside litter removal initiatives – engages local communities to tackle the issue of roadside litter. During the two-week period, residents are encouraged to participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina’s roadsides.

In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time picking up litter and collecting trash bags that are filled by volunteers, the agency noted.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation launched a new anti-litter webpage as part of a renewed statewide anti-littering campaign that kicked off in August 2023 – a “one-stop hub” that contains information about the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program, Mississippi litter statistics and resources, stormwater pollution information, anti-litter resources for school teachers, and much more.

On another front, to make roadway debris removal operations faster and safer, the South Carolina Department of Transportation started installing “lane blades” on select highway incident response vehicles in 2023.

And in April 2023, the Illinois Department of Transportation launched a new public outreach effort called “Think Before You Throw!” as part of its ongoing awareness campaign to reduce littering on state highways and roads.

That “Think Before You Throw!” initiative aims to reduce roadside litter along the state’s more than 150,000 miles of roads by raising awareness of the negative environment impact of trash, for both state residents and the nearly 100 million tourists who visit annually, the agency said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is gearing up for its annual “Spring Litter Sweep” event, to be held April 13-27 statewide.

[Above photo by NCDOT]

The Spring Litter Sweep – one of NCDOT’s many roadside litter removal initiatives – engages local communities to tackle the issue of roadside litter. During the two-week period, residents are encouraged to participate in local efforts to help clean up North Carolina’s roadsides. In addition to volunteers, NCDOT maintenance crews devote one week of their time picking up litter and collecting trash bags that are filled by volunteers, the agency noted.

“We’re grateful for the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers who step up each year to participate in the litter sweeps,” said David Harris, an NCDOT’s roadside environmental engineer, in a statement.

“Their commitment to helping us keep our roadsides clean is truly commendable,” he added. “Their hard work and passion contribute to a cleaner, greener North Carolina for generations to come.”

State departments of transportation are involved in a variety of litter cleanup efforts that remove tons of trash from along highways and state roadways across the country.

For example, the Arizona Department of Transportation recently noted that its “Adopt a Highway” volunteers continued to make a big difference in terms of litter cleanup along state highways in 2023.

The agency said roughly 850 volunteer groups – comprised of nearly 9,000 individuals – collected over 15,000 bags of roadside litter weighing some 103 tons from state highways mainly outside of Arizona’s metropolitan areas in 2023. The dollar value of that volunteer work equates to roughly $674,000; money the Arizona DOT said can be committed to other critical needs.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi Department of Transportation launched a new anti-litter webpage as part of a renewed statewide anti-littering campaign that kicked off in August 2023 – a “one-stop hub” that contains information about the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program, Mississippi litter statistics and resources, stormwater pollution information, anti-litter resources for school teachers, and much more.

On another front, to make roadway debris removal operations faster and safer, the South Carolina Department of Transportation started installing “lane blades” on select highway incident response vehicles in 2023.

And in April 2023, the Illinois Department of Transportation launched a new public outreach effort called “Think Before You Throw!” as part of its ongoing awareness campaign to reduce littering on state highways and roads.

That “Think Before You Throw!” initiative aims to reduce roadside litter along the state’s more than 150,000 miles of roads by raising awareness of the negative environment impact of trash, for both state residents and the nearly 100 million tourists who visit annually, the agency said.

The Arizona Department of Transportation recently noted that its “Adopt a Highway” volunteers continued to make a big difference in terms of litter cleanup along state highways in 2023.

[Above photo by Arizona DOT]

The agency said roughly 850 volunteer groups – comprised of nearly 9,000 individuals – collected over 15,000 bags of roadside litter weighing some 103 tons from state highways mainly outside of Arizona’s metropolitan areas in 2023. The dollar value of that volunteer work equates to roughly $674,000; money the Arizona DOT said can be committed to other critical needs.

“We are so grateful to the many Arizonans who help keep our state grand,” said Mary Currie, Arizona DOT’s Adopt a Highway program manager, in a statement. “Their dedication beautifies state highways that provide a first impression for many visitors and enhances Arizona’s natural beauty.”

She noted that the state’s “Adopt a Highway” groups agree to pick up litter in an adopted stretch at least once per year, though preferably three or more times a year, coordinating with Arizona DOT to arrange for safety vests, litter bags and training for pickup events and then report the results.

State departments of transportation are using a variety of tactics to combat littering on state highways.

For example, the Tennessee Department of Transportation recently expanded the “Youth Group” patch program that is part of its Nobody Trashes Tennessee litter prevention campaign to include Girl Scouts Heart of the South and Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians. The patch program initially launched in October 2023 with the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee.

“Girl Scout Troops are highly committed to community service projects and environmental education, and we are thrilled to have participation from all three councils representing the entire state of Tennessee participating in our Nobody Trashes Tennessee patch program,” said Brittany Morris with the Tennessee DOT’s Beautification Office, in a statement.

[Editor’s note: The agency also recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its “Litter Grant Program.” That program – started in 1983 – provides funding to all 95 counties within the state to pay for a wide variety of litter-related efforts, such enforcement; cleanup and recycling events; and litter prevention education campaigns.]

“Within the first two months of launching the program in Middle Tennessee, we had approximately 1,000 Girl Scouts earn a Nobody Trashes Tennessee patch,” she said. “We are excited to have even more participation from Girl Scouts this year and have numerous ways for them to get involved.”

On another front, to make roadway debris removal operations faster and safer, the South Carolina Department of Transportation started installing “lane blades” on select highway incident response vehicles in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Mississippi Department of Transportation launched a new anti-litter webpage as part of a renewed statewide anti-littering campaign that kicked off in August 2023 – a “one-stop hub” that contains information about the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program, Mississippi litter statistics and resources, stormwater pollution information, anti-litter resources for school teachers, and much more.

And in April 2023, the Illinois Department of Transportation launched a new public outreach effort called “Think Before You Throw!” as part of its ongoing awareness campaign to reduce littering on state highways and roads.

That “Think Before You Throw!” initiative aims to reduce roadside litter along the state’s more than 150,000 miles of roads by raising awareness of the negative environment impact of trash, for both state residents and the nearly 100 million tourists who visit annually, the agency said.

Cities and local agencies throughout California recently received $114.5 million in grants to help fund 60 litter removal as well as neighborhoods and public space beautification projects.

[Above photo by Caltrans]

That funding includes $14.5 million set aside specifically to support 18 projects for cleaning transit stations and other areas around the state’s public transportation systems.

Those grants represent the latest round of funding from the “Clean California” initiative; a sweeping billion-dollar multiyear clean-up effort led by the California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, to remove trash and help to revitalize public spaces in local communities statewide.

[Editor’s note: Caltrans is also supporting those clean-up and revitalization efforts though a public outreach campaign starring several well-known celebrities; in this case, Fullback Kyle Juszczyk, who plays for the San Francisco 49ers football team.]

According to a statement by the California Governor’s Office, the 60 projects receiving this round of “Clean California” grant funding will improve parks, tribal lands, neighborhoods, transit hubs, walking paths, streets, roadsides, recreation fields, community gathering spots, and places of cultural importance or historical interest in underserved communities.

This funding builds on the nearly $312 million in grants to 126 beautification projects along the state highway system announced by Governor Gavin Newsom (D) in April 2022. Since launching Clean California in July 2021, Caltrans has removed an estimated 1.9 million cubic yards of litter from state highways.

The program has created more than 4,000 jobs that have helped state residents overcome barriers to employment – including 357 people who had been experiencing homelessness – and drawn more than 10,000 volunteers to events ranging from community cleanups to large debris collections for appliances, tires, and mattresses.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and its “Adopt a Highway” volunteer program recently conducted a roadway trash cleanup event; collecting 214 bags worth of litter from along state highways across Arizona.

[Above photo by the Arizona DOT] 

Fifteen groups with 123 volunteers answered the call to participate in day-long event on September 16. One of those groups, the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, had seven volunteers fill 13 bags with litter along Oracle Road (State Route 77) on the north side of Oro Valley. 

“It feels good just cleaning up native habitat along the highway and making sure that all the native vegetation has space to grow and that people have a nice place to bike,” said Jonni Zeman, the group’s program and communications coordinator, in a statement. “It’s great to just be here making a difference, even if it’s small.”

Arizona DOT’s Tucson North Motor Vehicle Division office had 12 team members pick up 16 bags of litter along Oracle Road between Ina and Orange Grove roads, while two other team members delivered drinks and collected bags. The office has adopted this segment and will hold cleanups throughout the year.

“It’s just a way for us to connect to the community and be part of it,” said Jessica Robeson, an MVD customer service representative. 

Other state highways where volunteers removed roadside trash included Interstate 19, State Route 260 and US 60. 

This event complements the work of more than 6,000 volunteers participating in Arizona DOT’s Adopt a Highway program who help keep state highways as trash-free as possible throughout the year. In 2022 alone, these volunteers filled more than 12,500 bags of litter while contributing time and effort worth more than $600,000.

State departments of transportation are using a variety of tactics to combat littering on state highways.

For example, the Mississippi Department of Transportation recently launched a new anti-litter webpage as part of a renewed statewide anti-littering campaign that kicked off in August – a “one-stop hub” that contains information about the state’s Adopt-a-Highway program, Mississippi litter statistics and resources, stormwater pollution information, anti-litter resources for school teachers, and much more.

Then there is the Tennessee Department of Transportation, which recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its “Litter Grant Program.” That program – started in 1983 – provides funding to all 95 counties within the state to pay for a wide variety of litter-related efforts, such as litter and tarp law enforcement; cleanup and recycling events; and litter prevention education campaigns.

Meanwhile, in April, the Illinois Department of Transportation launched a new public outreach effort called “Think Before You Throw!” as part of its ongoing awareness campaign to reduce littering on state highways and roads.

The “Think Before You Throw!” initiative aims to reduce roadside litter along the state’s more than 150,000 miles of roads by raising awareness of the negative environment impact of trash, for both state residents and the nearly 100 million tourists who visit annually, the agency said.

And, in March, the Maryland Department of Transportation launched “Operation Clean Sweep Maryland,” a new initiative that seeks to nearly double the frequency of litter pickup and mowing efforts along state roads.

This new effort – which began in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., regions – is under the purview of the Maryland State Highway Administration, one of Maryland DOT’s modal divisions.