OLYMPIA — Every year, almost 38 million pounds of litter is dropped on Washington’s highways, roads and public areas, according to an announcement Thursday from the Washington State Department of Ecology. That’s about five pounds of trash for every person in the state. 

Beyond simply being unsightly, litter can harm water quality and pose safety risks to travelers. To reduce littering, the state Department of Ecology is working with the Department of Transportation, State Patrol and other agencies to launch the “Simple As That” campaign, the DOE announced. 

The state spends more than $12 million each year picking up litter, and paid crews and volunteers collected a record 11.2 million pounds in 2023, according to the announcement. However, even that record-setting effort still only addresses a fraction of the problem.  

A 2022 statewide litter study found that the most commonly littered items include cigarette butts, food wrappers and snack bags, glass bottles, and construction and demolition debris.  

“We spend millions each year to clean our roads – but it costs nothing for each of us to do the right thing and pick up after ourselves,” Gov. Jay Inslee wrote in the announcement. “Whether it’s keeping a trash bag in your car or making sure your cargo is securely strapped down, every one of us can do something to protect Washington’s natural beauty and prevent serious hazards on our highways. It really is as simple as that.” 

The “Simple As That” campaign and its partners are promoting a litter free Washington by encouraging Washingtonians to: 

• Keep a litter bag in your car. Use a litter bag while traveling to keep your vehicle tidy and reduce the chances of littering accidentally when you open a door or window. When visiting parks and other recreation areas, bring a bag with you so it’s easy to pack out what you carried in.

• Hold on to trash while traveling until you reach your destination or a waste bin at a stop along the way. It may not seem like a big deal to toss the occasional bag or bottle on the ground, but those decisions add up to millions of pounds of litter (and millions of dollars of cleanup) every year. 

• Live litter-free and help others do the same. Make sure your friends and family know how to live litter-free and help them make good choices.  

Ecology is introducing the campaign to new people by partnering with community-based organizations to distribute “We Keep WA Litter Free” litter bags to individuals and families who are new to the United States.

"We believe that everyone can do their part to keep our neighborhoods healthy,” said Dr. Ileana Ponce-Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Community Health Workers Coalition for Migrants and Refugees. “We are proud to partner with Ecology to create cleaner, healthier communities for all Washingtonians.” 

To learn more about this campaign, visit LitterFreeWA.org or PorUnWAImpecable.org.