By: Tina Werner, WSDOT maintenance communicator
Today is Earth Day (April 22), a time to celebrate our planet and reflect on the role we all play in protecting it. For us, Earth Day isn’t just a once-a-year moment. It’s built into the work we do every day. In fact, we launched our first Sustainability Action Plan on Earth Day 2019. This plan outlines how we’re protecting Washington’s environment for future generations. That commitment guides how we plan, build and maintain our transportation system.
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| Ecology crews collect trash along US 101 in Thurston County in April. Part of our commitment to protecting our planet is to plant native flowers and shrubs along the roadsides. Many restoration projects include site specific work that benefit pollinators. |
The work you see (and the work you don’t)
When many people think of Earth Day, they might think of litter. And along our highways, it’s a very real issue. Our highway maintenance crews work with the departments of Ecology and Corrections and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers. Together, we work to keep roadsides clean, but it’s a constant struggle. Addressing this problem requires strong partnerships among state agencies, organizations and communities. The traveling public plays a crucial role too. The best solution is to stop litter from reaching roadways in the first place. By working together, we can keep Washington clean, safe and beautiful for everyone.
Litter cleanup is funded through a limited highway maintenance budget. That same budget also supports critical roadway operations and safety efforts. That includes things like:
- repairing damaged guardrails and potholes
- striping roads
- maintaining rest areas
- responding to snow and ice.
Generally, litter is not considered a critical highway safety task unless it is blocking a travel lane. Our maintenance crews must prioritize critical safety work. Crews remove deceased animals and large items, such as abandoned refrigerators, from roadways. If you see something that is an immediate safety concern, please call 9-1-1. They can dispatch law enforcement as well as our crews to the site. It is important to note that discarding items along the highway is illegal. Under state law, litter tickets and fines can be issued but a sworn law officer must see the littering take place. Tickets can’t be issued based on reports given to or seen by our field staff.
Multiple parters, one shared goal
Litter is picked up by departments of Ecology and Corrections crews, as well as our Adopt-A-Highway volunteers. Sometimes, contractor crews are hired by corporate sponsors. Those pick-up crews and volunteers leave full litter bags in a pile along the highway. Then, our maintenance crews collect them and record the volume for reporting purposes. These are the same crews who plow highways of snow and ice in the winter months. Most litter is generally collected between March and October. That’s when there’s less rain, and winter operations aren’t active. When crews are already working in an area, they often combine tasks. Planning ahead to sweep, pick up litter and remove graffiti all at once helps reduce future disruptions for travelers.
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| Ecology crews collect roadside litter along US 101 near Olympia in April. Our highway maintenance crews provided traffic control and disposed of the bagged litter. They also mowed and conducted vegetation management within the closure area. |
And what our crews find can be surprising.
In 2025, together with Ecology, we spent more than $17 million on litter cleanup and disposal. These are large investments, but they do not fully capture the ongoing scope and complexity of litter challenges we face each year. Last year, our crews collected 726 tons of litter along state highways. This includes large items like mattresses and desks as well as bags of litter collected by volunteers and contractor crews. We do not have regular, dedicated litter crews. We also don’t have the funding to create them, which is why our partnerships with other agencies, communities and the public are so important. Preventing litter starts with all of us.
Thinking about joining? Adopt-A-Highway volunteers commit to taking care of a designated two-mile stretch of highway over a two-year period. Many of our volunteers take great pride in cleaning up our highways in the communities where they live and work. We currently have more than 800 active volunteer groups across the state, but we’re always looking for more to help make a difference. Volunteers must be at least 15 years of age and in good health. We provide litter bags and safety materials before each cleanup.
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| Adopt-A-Highway program volunteers for the Quilcene Harbor Yacht club. They had a successful litter cleanup last fall in the Olympic Peninsula |
But litter pickup is just one piece of a much bigger picture.
Behind the scenes, our highway maintenance crews are managing stormwater systems, controlling weeds and preparing for wildfire. They are also thinking ahead and implementing a more environmentally friendly snow and ice program.
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| We created a pollinator-friendly habitat along Interstate 5 at the Scatter Creek Safety Rest Area. This is part of our roadside landscape program. Pollinator meadows like this require less mowing and upkeep compared to traditional turf grass. Besides benefiting pollinators, they help conserve resources, reduce emissions and lower maintenance costs. |
We also have a team that include biologists, cultural resources specialists, permitting specialists and environmental quality assurance professionals. These environmental professionals help ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulations and policies.
Making a difference across Washington
Across the state, our work to protect the environment shows up in many ways:
- Since 2013, we’ve corrected 200 fish barriers. These corrections restore access to more than 705 miles of upstream habitat.
- We’re partnering with agencies, tribes and conservation groups to improve how we treat stormwater. Together, we’re working to remove harmful pollutants before they reach waterways.
- We’re building wildlife crossings that help animals move safely while reducing collisions on our roadways.
- We’ve signed a contract with Eastern Shipbuilders to construct up to three hybrid-electric 160 auto-ferries. We expect delivery of the first vessel in 2030. When terminals are electrified in the next few years, the vessels will operate on battery power. This decreases fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
- We’re working to create edge buffers and fire-resilient native plant communities in Eastern Washington. We need to reduce the possibility of roadside fires before they start.
- We’re protecting wetlands and riparian areas as part of our highway construction program. We’re using principles of avoidance, minimization and mitigation.
- We’ve transitioned much of our fleet to renewable diesel — reducing emissions by about 70%. This also lowers maintenance impacts and costs.
- We’ve launched the second round of an e-bike rebate program. Rebates have already given more than 11,000 people the opportunity to reduce the upfront cost of e-bikes. The program makes e-bikes more affordable by providing rebates of either $300 or $1,200, depending on income eligibility.
- We’re investing in programs that help communities create safer travel options. Examples include bicycle education and helping reconnect neighborhoods divided by highways.
- We are reducing the effects of underwater noise on marine mammals. We are on the leadership committee of Quiet Sound. They recently recognized us for our leadership in voluntary vessel slowdowns. Since 2015, we’ve been one of just two U.S. entities in the ECHO Program. This program helps us understand and reduce the impacts of shipping on whales throughout the southern coast of British Columbia.
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| Protecting our planet includes correcting fish barriers under state highways. This example is along State Route 20 near Sedro-Woolley. This project reopened over half a mile of habitat for salmon and trout. It also created safer crossings for wildlife like deer, elk and black bears. |
It takes all of us
Protecting our environment is a shared responsibility. We’ll continue to explore new ways to reduce our environmental impact and deliver sustainable transportation solutions. As a friendly reminder, small daily actions from all of us make a real difference. Simple choices like securing your load before every trip or choosing not to litter help keep our roads safe and our environment clean.
Because Earth Day isn’t just today. It’s every day.
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