1 Million Cubic Yards of Litter Removed From State Roadsides
Sacramento, CA – A major milestone for the Clean California initiative as it hit 1 million cubic yards of litter removed from the state’s roadsides since the program’s beginning nearly 15 months ago.
Backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, his office relayed that amount as being more than 16,700 tons of litter, enough to build two stacks of trash from the Earth’s surface to beyond the International Space Station, 250 miles in orbit.
“California is the most beautiful place in the world, and we need to do more to keep our communities clean and safe,” said Governor Newsom. “With an investment of over $1 billion, Clean California projects are cleaning up our neighborhoods and enriching our public spaces by removing litter and debris from our roadsides throughout our state.”
The initiative is a $1.1 billion, multiyear clean-up effort being led by Caltrans. The trash removal generates thousands of jobs while engaging communities to transform public spaces, according to the governor’s office.
Since its launch in July 2021, Caltrans has removed 300 percent more litter from the state highway system compared to 2020 and filled 759 new jobs, including maintenance workers who collect litter and remove graffiti.
“Removing 1 million cubic yards of trash from our roadways is a very big step toward fulfilling Governor Newsom’s vision for Clean California. I salute the many communities joining this effort to make our state cleaner, safer and more beautiful,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares.
Caltrans is doing more than just roadside litter clean-up efforts; it has held 180 free statewide Dump Day events to help the public safely dispose of bulk items. That includes collecting more than 18,000 tires and 5,000 mattresses. The Adopt-A-Highway program has seen a jump of nearly 1,000 adopters due to a $250 monthly volunteer incentive stipend provided in the initiative. During the past 15 months, highway adopters have collected 3,000 cubic yards of trash. Also, grants to 231 community revitalization projects have also been awarded and will continue as the state’s recently enacted budget includes $100 million to fund another round of Clean California local grant projects.
