As the state’s lead agency managing litter programs, we operate youth and adult litter pickup crews and provide funding for litter pickup and prevention to state and local governments. We also oversee the state's litter prevention campaigns.
Our research shows that 75% of Washingtonians don't litter, but the actions of those who do result in expensive cleanups, dangerous road conditions, loss of community pride and tourism, and big environmental impacts.
We work with consultants and stakeholders to create comprehensive litter prevention campaigns and interventions to help change littering behaviors.
Washington's litter programs
We lead a partnership of state, county, and local agencies to keep Washington’s roads and highways clean, pick up illegal dumps, and prevent people from littering in the first place. In 2023, we funded programs that picked up over 5.6 million pounds of litter and cleaned more than 20,800 miles of road, statewide.
The Ecology Litter Corps (ELC) program is the largest and longest-running litter pickup program in the state. ELC hires teens and adults to pick up litter on the state’s roads and highways.
We created the Community Litter Cleanup Program in 1997 to provide funds to local governments for litter and illegal dump cleanup and litter-prevention education.
In 2021, the Welcome to Washington Act (Senate Bill 5040) created the Ramp Litter Cleanup Program to provide funding to local governments for litter cleanup on state highway ramps and interchanges.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) spends approximately $4 million annually picking up and disposing of litter, statewide. This includes disposing of the bagged litter that the Ecology Youth Corps collects along state highways. WSDOT picks up and disposes large debris, hires corrections crews for litter pickup, and operates the Adopt-A-Highway program. They are also a key partner on Washington's new litter prevention campaign and the annual Secure Your Load Day efforts.
Volunteers can help with litter pickup along state highways through the Adopt-A-Highway program. Their sponsorship program allows businesses to adopt a section of highway and hire approved contractors to pick up litter on their section.
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources operates a Correctional Camps program that mobilizes work crews to perform litter and illegal dump cleanup on state lands, roads, public use facilities, and more.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife's Lands and Waters program operates crews to pick up litter, clean illegal dumpsites, and prevent litter on Fish and Wildlife land and public access areas.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, in partnership with the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, conducts coordinated beach cleanups under the Washington CoastSavers program. Beach cleanups are held three times a year to remove marine debris along Washington's outer coast and into the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The Washington State Patrol and local police and sheriff's offices enforce the state’s litter and secured-load laws. We partner with the State Patrol on emphasis patrols, pilot programs, Secure Your Load Day, and the state’s litter prevention campaign.
The Washington State Traffic Safety Commission works to change driver behaviors to end traffic fatalities and injuries. They're a key partner in addressing unsecured vehicle loads, the annual Secure Your Load Day efforts, and the new statewide litter-prevention campaign.
