While driving around Pennsylvania, you’ve probably seen the blue-and-white signs recognizing organizations and individuals who have committed to keeping certain stretches of roadway free of litter.
But, have you ever considered adopting a local road, or natural area, yourself?
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, an organization committed to maintaining a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania, invites Pennsylvanians to adopt local roads and areas to keep them litter free.
And these adoptions make a tremendous impact!
Adopting an area is a proven and effective way to address persistent dumping and littering – and to immediately make an impact on your local community.
Cleaning up litter costs the U.S. over an estimated $11.5 billion each year, with municipalities spending more than $790 million and counties spending $185 million annually, according to Keep America Beautiful’s 2009 National Visible Litter Survey and Litter Cost Study.
When citizens take a proactive role in helping to eliminate and deter litter, it often encourages those who dispose of trash illegally to stop doing so altogether. Not to mention, working to keep these adopted areas clear of debris will prevent that garbage from winding up in larger waterways down the line.
The statewide adoption program is available for municipal and county roads, parks, greenways, waterways and trails. It just takes you – a concerned citizen, or a group of volunteers, and the commitment to help keep the adopted area clean.
To learn more about the program and how to get involved, click here.
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s adoption program is modeled after the Adopt-A-Highway Program managed by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). To learn more about adopting a state-owned roadway through PennDOT, click here.
