Ohio is a beautiful state and has one of the most efficient and safe highway systems in the nation. Every year, Ohio becomes more populated and the volume of traffic increases, which leads to an increase of litter. Last year, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spent approximately $4.4 million and 206,221 labor hours picking up 392,305 bags of litter from highways and interchanges.

The cost and time involved to remove litter from the highways could have been used for other needs. $4 million is approximately what it costs to install 340 miles of safety guardrail, pave 40 miles of a two-lane highway or purchase 28 snowplow trucks.

ODOT does have help in fighting litter. As part of coordinated cleanup efforts in many parts of the state, hundreds of volunteer groups comprised of local neighborhood groups, businesses and organizations pick up thousands of pounds of recyclables, litter and debris.

The ODOT Adopt-A-Highway program enables the Department to save important taxpayer dollars and allows work crews to devote more time to core functions like road maintenance and construction project. On average, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers pick up 25,000 bags of trash, saving the Department $280,000 each year.