National CleanUp Day is Saturday, Sept. 18 — less than two weeks away. Register now!

• One-day permit requests: Thank you for registering with us before midnight on Sunday, Sept. 12, so that we may assist you to locate an adoptable highway segment near you. One-day permits are granted across the state of Arizona on a first-come, first-served basis. 
• Adopt a Highway Volunteer Program permit holders: Thank you for registering your intent to participate in National CleanUp Day. This clean up counts toward your annual clean up requirement per program rules.
• Tell us how you did: Report the number of litter bags filled within three days after the event. ADOT tracks litter data each year to share the accomplishments of 1,200 Adopt a Highway volunteer groups!

At this time we are asking volunteer group leaders and all volunteers to respect guidelines for social distancing during cleanups. Keep groups as small as possible as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Adopt a Highway team plans to visit as many volunteer groups around the state as logistics allow. We will contact you prior to National CleanUp Day if your segment is along our route!

We'd love to see and share your National CleanUp Day photos on social media. Please use the hashtag #NationalCleanUpDay and tag your photos with @ArizonaDOT. 

Thank you for considering ADOT for your National CleanUp Day participation as an opportunity to unite and reduce litter along our highways. If you would like more information about the program visit Adopt a Highway.

Arizona, Keep It Grand!

There is still time! Adoptable highway segments are available for the Adopt a Highway Volunteer Program statewide cleanup on National CleanUp Day on Saturday, Sept. 18. Join us and register now. 

One-day permits are granted across the state of Arizona on a first-come, first-served basis. We will do our best to find an adoptable highway segment near your desired location. Adopt a Highway Volunteer groups—this counts toward your annual cleanup requirement.

Last year more than 300 Adopt a Highway volunteers came out around the state to clean up adopted highway segments resulting in 4.3 tons of litter removed along Arizona's highways. Three tons more than was collected the previous year. 

ADOT tracks the number of litter bags collected, pounds of trash, and number of volunteers reported by volunteer group leaders each year to measure the success of the program. On National CleanUp Day all program volunteer groups and one-day permit groups must report litter bag totals to us within three days after the event. 

Once again, the Adopt a Highway team plans to visit as many volunteer groups around the state as logistics allow. We will contact you prior to National CleanUp Day if your clean up segment is along our route!

At this time we are asking volunteer group leaders and all volunteers to respect guidelines for social distancing during cleanups. Keep groups as small as possible as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

We'd love to see and share your National CleanUp Day photos on social media. Watch for our new 2021 Facebook Frame and Instagram stickers rolling out next month and remember to use the hashtag #NationalCleanUpDay and tag your photos with @ArizonaDOT. 

Thank you for considering ADOT for your National CleanUp Day participation as an opportunity to unite and reduce litter along our highways. For more information about the program visit Adopt a Highway.

If you live in Phoenix and would like to help reduce litter in your neighborhood, please visit My Beautiful Phoenix hosted by Keep Phoenix Beautiful. Tucson residents reach out to Tucson Clean and Beautiful.

Hey, kids of all ages. ADOT is taking trash talk to a whole new level. If you are up for some summer fun, check out our litterbug decoder name in this new summer game. A printable version of the game is attached at the bottom of the blog. 

This is only for fun because we know littering is serious business. Adopt a Highway volunteers collect tons of litter each year along  Arizona’s beautiful highways. No one wants to see litter tossed from vehicles or escaping a truck bed. 

We know that littering is rude and bad for the environment. “Litterbug” is the nickname frequently earned by those seen tossing, dropping and stuffing cigarette butts and fast food wrappers anywhere but where they belong—in a proper trash receptacle. 

The trash talk name decoder game is made up of trash-related words paired with some new and creative fun ones. Try it with family and friends who won’t mind a little trash talk. 

If you live in Phoenix and would like to help reduce litter in your neighborhood, visit My Beautiful Phoenix. Tucson area residents can check out Tucson Clean and Beautiful. The Maricopa Association of Governments also focuses on keeping roadways clean through its Don't Trash Arizona campaign.

Arizona, Keep It Grand!

The Adopt a Highway Volunteer Program welcomes you to make a positive difference on National CleanUp Day, Saturday, Sept. 18. Adopt a Highway volunteer groups and one-day permits are invited to participate and register. 

In 2020, more than 330 Adopt a Highway volunteers collected 4.3 tons of trash in one day. That's triple from the previous year and we hope to meet or beat that record with your help.

Permitted volunteer groups or those interested in conducting a one-time cleanup may register to participate now. ADOT grants one-day permits on a first-come, first-served basis and we'll do our best to find an adoptable section near your desired location.

For existing Adopt a Highway Volunteer groups or one-day permit holders that decide to keep their permit for two years, this event counts toward your annual cleanup requirement!

All groups must report litter bag totals and number of volunteers to ADOT within three days after the event. ADOT tracks litter data each year to help improve the program and share the accomplishments of 4,700 volunteers. Groups reporting this important information receive a printable certificate of appreciation for participating. 

The Adopt a Highway team plans to visit as many volunteer groups on-site as logistics allow. If your segment is along our route on Sept. 18 we will contact you prior to National CleanUp Day. 

We'd love to see and share your photos on social media. Please use the hashtag #NationalCleanUpDay and tag your photos with @ArizonaDOT. 

Thank you for considering ADOT for National CleanUp Day participation—an opportunity to unite and reduce litter. Visit Adopt a Highway for more information about the program. 

At this time we are asking volunteer group leaders and all volunteers to respect guidelines for social distancing during cleanups. Keep groups as small as possible as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Arizona, Keep It Grand!

I wasn’t born on this highway but I have lived here a long time. There are many others like me—some in worse shape.

A raging fire went through recently. That was tough on everyone. Some like me but not as resilient, did not survive. Those of us remaining said that was for the best. It seems that no one pays attention these days or takes a second look anyway.

The winds of change may take me down the road to my next home or near a river. I’ve moved along the highway and lived near streams and puddles for many years. I wouldn’t say thriving— simply living forever.

Why wouldn’t anyone give me a second chance or lift me up? I want to be where I belong. Where I can end my mission and possibly start over, ending a 200 year or more lifespan as an unwanted piece of trash.

At least compared to our lifetime, plastic bottles live forever. Paper products may burn away during unfortunate events caused by humans and mother nature. Plastics, metal cans and other tossed items just don’t go away. They live along highways and streams to clog waterways and storm drains as described in the short story.

If you want to help prevent another littered life check out the Adopt a Highway Volunteer program and the Adopt a Highway News.

Welcome one and all! Whether you are an existing Adopt a Highway volunteer group or want to pitch-in for one day.

National CleanUp Day is Saturday, Sept. 18. Only weeks away, this day is set aside for civic-minded individuals and organizations to unite for the purpose of reducing litter in their communities along state highways.

Mark your calendar and watch for a registration message and link in the coming weeks. Adopt a Highway volunteer groups and others requesting a one-day permit will have the opportunity to register for the cleanup.

All groups are required to report litter totals within 3 days of the event. Last year 331 Adopt a Highway volunteers came out around the state. A combined effort of many individuals succeeded in collecting more than 1.3 tons of litter.

At this time we are asking volunteer group leaders and all volunteers to respect guidelines for social distancing during cleanups. Keep groups as small as possible as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Adopt a Highway team plans to visit as many volunteer groups around the state as logistics allow. If your clean up is along our route, you will receive advanced notification prior to National CleanUp Day.

We'd love to see and share your National CleanUp Day group photos on social media. Please use the hashtag #NationalCleanUpDay and tag your photos with @ArizonaDOT. Send us your group photos and include your Adopt a Highway sign in the background, for possible use in an upcoming ADOT blog.

Thank you for considering National CleanUp Day on Saturday, Sept. 18 as an opportunity to help reduce litter along state highways.

Arizona, Keep It Grand!

“I think a more rewarding return for this type of event is the relationships people can build and maintain by participating in a common outdoor activity for the day.” 

That’s what John Riordan had to say about his participation as a volunteer in the Adopt a Highway program and adopt a section of Interstate 40 near Flagstaff. “This stretch of highway is adjacent to my employer, W. L. Gore & Associates, so I was typically driving this section everyday, prior to 2020,” Riordan said. “It was a short drive, mostly along the highway, and I noticed the trash building up and it got to the point where I decided to take action.”

Riordan’s home has been in Flagstaff for over 12 years now. “I love the outdoors, nature, wildlife, and the many awesome experiences it has to offer. We need to treat our land with respect and preserve it for future generations.” 

I asked what the motivator was for the overwhelming participation. “Picking up trash is simple, but it can impact many people who drive these sections—Flagstaff sees millions of visitors and tourists every year and I wanted to try and help them have a more positive experience when coming to see our beautiful part of the country.”. 

Participating since 2018, W. L. Gore & Associates, offers its employees the added perk of paid volunteer time that has helped enable 67 associates to clean up more than 400 bags of garbage over the last two years. 

“Once you decide to organize a cleanup event, by sending calendar invites, colleagues can easily add it to their schedule which helps increase participation,” Riordan offered. “Don’t be afraid, ADOT has made this program so easy to participate in, they have made it simple, safe, and personally rewarding.”

After 11 employees signed up for a cleanup event, the group decided to adopt two more miles in the area last December. 

Jeanne Sunda, ADOT permit coordinator who’s managed the program in the Northcentral District for 11 years said, “Eight hours of volunteer labor and 82 bags of  trash removed from the state right-of-way in one day is more than any group in the Northcentral District has done in one day since I have been coordinating the district’s volunteer program.” 

The area maintenance supervisor, Tod Skinner, remembered that it took more than two fully loaded dump trucks to move the trash to the dump. Large pieces such as a bicycle and a baby car seat were collected on this stretch of Interstate 40 west of Flagstaff. These items are bulky and can be dangerous to motorists if not secured properly. Traveling at freeway speeds can loosen moving straps and allow items to end up along the highway or worse, in moving traffic. 

ADOT tips a hat to all the volunteers and the generous support of W.L. Gore & Associates for turning heads with its major volunteer effort.  

You can join the ranks of 120 Outstanding Volunteer groups across Arizona in these three easy steps:

1. Contact us about joining the program in your area;
2. Conduct three or more cleanup activities per year with your Adopt a Highway group;
3. Tell us about it. Report the number of trash bags your group collects during each cleanup to the Activity Report. Every bag counts in the effort to keep Arizona grand!

You may have noticed them while traveling on the interstate, state highways in Arizona. Adopt a Highway recognition signs bearing the name of a volunteer group, a loved one memorialized or a local business sponsoring litter cleanup are all along our roadways. 

The signs represent the adopters or caretakers of a two-mile segment of state highway. Volunteers who represent those signs are a priceless resource that helps keep Arizona’s highways clean. 

Filled blue bags that are spotted in the shadow of an Adopt a Highway sign or lined up nearby are a sure sign of recent volunteer activity, and an unfortunate reminder of the volume of trash that accumulates along highways.

The Arizona Department of Transportation manages two litter abatement options for volunteers. Volunteer signs vary too and are explained a bit more here:

The Adopt a Highway Volunteer program applies to civic-minded individuals, families, churches and other groups who may receive a two year permit to clean up roadside litter on segments of roadway deemed safe for volunteers. Groups reporting three or more cleanups per year receive Outstanding Volunteer Status as shown in the photos. 

Volunteer groups may submit a request for a sign bearing the name of the group. One clean up is required prior to ADOT placing a group recognition sign. Group leaders are given instructions for contacting the nearest maintenance facility to pick up litter bags and safety vests to be used during ADOT cleanups.

ADOT maintenance crews count on groups to notify them of the date of the cleanup and how many bags of trash were collected. An ADOT crews is then dispatched to pick up and dispose of the filled

The Adopt a Highway Sponsor program is geared toward civic-minded individuals and businesses that will contract directly with a program approved maintenance provider to clean roadside litter for a fee. Sponsor adopted segments include urban area highways that experience a large volume of traffic and litter, and are unsafe for volunteers. Sponsor program signs are recognized by the full color business logo. Contracted maintenance crews collect litter on behalf of the sponsor at the adopted segment and dispose of the collected litter as part of the adoption agreement.

Nearly 23.7 billion pieces of litter are left on 8.3 million miles of roadways in the United States equaling 2,855 pieces per mile. This equates to about 73 littered items per person nationwide.

We invite you to be a part of positive change by joining a volunteer or sponsor program to help keep our highways beautiful. Please contact us for more information.

It is summertime in the Southwest. No better time to think about fresh lemonade, which reminds me of the proverbial phrase spoken by optimists. 

Volunteers are some of the most optimistic people I have met. As sure as Independence Day approaches, volunteers are making lemonade—at least in the metaphorical sense. 

The items shown in the photo collected by the Prescott Litter Lifters are the type of Americana collected along state highways. We'll call them lemons for today's story. Lemons are not the menacing paper and plastic variety of litter, but the type of lost items that might have something interesting to say if they could speak. Like an elf hat. Would Santa’s elves intentionally toss their crowning glory roadside on State Route 286? We don’t know, but that's where the making lemonade part comes in.

Some of these items will never see a landfill. That’s pretty good news and a great feeling for volunteers who collect hundreds of bags of unsalvageable refuse. Reuse and recycle is a common thread among volunteers who clean and refurbish lost items. Lots of metal pieces and tools found roadside are given new life and a renewed purpose.

As for the ballpoint pen in the photo—if it still works, I'll take it to replace the one that I misplaced. The basketball and other sporting goods might get a second chance at a road trip. This time cinched-down in a truck bed with a net to prevent a three-pointer into traffic. It happens.

ADOT celebrates Adopt a Highway volunteers who collect all varieties of trash from along state highways. Your service is a big part of what our nation celebrates each Fourth of July. Thank you for your continued optimism and for making lemonade when possible. I raise my glass to you. 

Stay safe and healthy this summer during litter collection events. Pack plenty of water and watch out for each other along busy highways. 

Considering a volunteer opportunity? Visit Adopt a Highway for more information about adopting a two-mile segment along a state route in your area. 

If you live in Phoenix and would like to help reduce litter in your neighborhood, visit My Beautiful Phoenix. Tucson area residents can check out Tucson Clean and Beautiful. The Maricopa Association of Governments also focuses on keeping roadways clean through its Don't Trash Arizona campaign.

Arizona, Keep It Grand!