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Litter on State Highways
The problem with litter
During the period of July 2003 through June 2004, WSDOT disposed of an estimated
5, 359 tons of litter and debris that was removed from its roadsides.
Department of Ecology
estimates another 6,315 tons are collected annually from state and county
roads statewide in 2004. This equates to approximately 26,800 cubic yards
of litter, or the volume of over 2,600 large dump trucks. To put it in
perspective, in ten short years, the litter collected on our highways
would form a rectangular stack nearly the same height as the Space Needle.
Cost of litter control for state highways
- Annually, WSDOT spends $2,000,000 to pick up and dispose of
litter statewide. This includes:
- Pick up and disposal of litter bags
- Pick up and disposal of large debris, such as furniture, tires,
and dead animals
- Payments to Department of
Corrections crews for litter pick up
- Administration of the Adopt-A-Highway
program
Partners in litter control
Litter control on state highways is a shared responsibility:
- Department of Ecology's Solid
Waste Program
- Ecology Youth
Corps - Over 400 teens are hired each year in one of the state's
largest youth employment services. Youth Corp members pick up litter
from state highways, county roads, and recreation areas.
- Education and prevention programs - a statewide
anti-littering campaign was launched in spring 2002.
- Adopt-A-Highway
program. During 2005, 1,379 groups of volunteers were registered statewide
to pick up litter from 10,000 miles of highway shoulders.
- Department of Corrections - Participants
of work release programs often clean roadside areas that are more difficult
to reach and pose a higher safety risk for volunteers, such as freeway
median areas. Crews provide low-cost labor and significantly contribute
to litter and illegal dump-cleanup programs statewide.
More about Adopt-a-Highway:
- The Adopt-a-Highway Program is an anti-litter and highway enhancement campaign intended to promote pride and owership in keeping our state beautiful.
- It allows individuals and groups to "adopt" a section of state highway by agreeing to take care of it for a two-year period. Volunteer groups may be clubs, employees of a business, or concerned citizens. All participants must be at least 15 years of age and in good health.
- Typically an assigned section includes between two and four miles of roadside.
- A sign is installed by WSDOT, giving recognition to the individual or group that has adopted the highway.
- WSDOT also provides traffic control equipment, safety equipment, safety training, litterbags, and disposal of filled bags for the volunteers.
- In the Expanded Adopt-a-Highway program, a private sponsor may hire a professional contractor to clean or enhance a section of highway in return for a sign with the business name and/or logo.
Want to Litter? Fine.
RCWs for litter issues
RCW
70.93 Waste Reduction, recycling, and model litter control act
RCW
47.40.100 State adopt-a-highway program
If you have comments or questions, contact Helen Simmonds at (360)
705-7866, or email simmonh@wsdot.wa.gov.
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