CHARLESTON, W.Va. — More than 2,500 volunteers from over 300 groups will be picking up trash along roads across West Virginia this Saturday.
The effort is part of the 2023 Adopt-A-Highway Spring Cleanup, hosted by the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Rehabilitation Environmental Action Plan (REAP) program.
Last year, more than 68,000 pounds of litter were removed from over 800 miles of roadway. DEP Spokesperson Terry Fletcher said they’re hoping to surpass that goal this weekend.
“We had a very good productive cleanup last year and we’re hoping to have even more this year,” he said.
The cleanup is in partnership with the state Division of Highways.
Fletcher said the goal is to attract more visitors and have residents take ownership of the roads they travel daily.
“We have a beautiful state in West Virginia, and this is a great way for folks to come together to maintain the beauty that we have here,” he said.
Trash along the road is an eyesore, Fletcher said.
“It’s painful to see the trash and litter along the roadways and in the areas of our communities, so removing this trash obviously makes things nicer for folks to look at and they can really focus on the beauty that we have here,” he said.
Individuals, families, churches, businesses, schools, civic organizations, government agencies and communities will be picking up trash on almost any state-maintained road, back road or main route, but not any private roads.
Fletcher said the DEP will provide volunteers with the protective gear they need to pick up trash.
“We provide the materials, the bags, the orange safety vest, the materials that allow folks to get out there and clean up the litter that they might see or any trash on the roadways,” he said.
More information is available on the REAP webpage.