ARDOT to Launch New Anti-Litter Campaign: Keep It Clean, Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK (10-14) – The Arkansas Department of Transportation will debut its new anti-litter campaign, Keep It Clean, Arkansas, at the Arkansas State Fair this October, according to Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) officials.

Arkansas has the twelfth largest highway system in the nation with more than 16,000 miles of roadway to maintain and keep litter-free. For every one mile of road, Arkansas averages 2,000 pieces of trash—that adds up to almost 32-million pieces of litter each year. 
 
ARDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway (AAH) program helps address litter by allowing volunteers such as individuals, groups and organizations to pick up trash along the highway. With more than 900 groups across the state—and more added each day—there is an ongoing effort to keep Arkansas clean.  

“Even with that many volunteers, ARDOT still spends an average of $5 million each year picking up trash,” reported Holly Butler, Executive Assistant for ARDOT’s Public Information Office. “One of my duties is to oversee the Adopt-A-Highway program. We absolutely love our volunteers, but it’s clear that picking up trash isn’t the problem—littering is.”

ARDOT’s new Keep It Clean, Arkansas, campaign focuses on educating the public about the long-term damage caused when litter hits the highway.

“Trash doesn’t just stay on the side of the road,” Butler explained. “It also gets washed into nearby rivers, lakes and streams, and pollutes waterways and aquatic habitats. Things we consider harmless trash can take hundreds of years to decompose. When you look at the big picture, the litter problem is overwhelming.”

ARDOT’s booth at the State Fair will provide information on how you can take a proactive approach to litter and how to get involved with the AAH program.

Follow us on Twitter @IDriveArkansas for traffic and @myARDOT for everything else.

-End-

Contact: Britni Dumas

NR 21-314

October 14, 2021