City of Vancouver effort clears more than 1,380 pounds of litter along highway ramps

To date, the special litter cleanups have taken place over three Saturdays along I-5 on-ramps and off-ramps at Fourth Plain Boulevard and East 39th Street

More than 1,380 pounds of unsightly litter and trash – almost three-fourths of a ton — have been removed from along two major Interstate 5 ramps within the city of Vancouver this fall as part of a new coordinated cleanup effort led by Vancouver Public Works.

Backed by a $40,000 state Department of Ecology Community Litter Cleanup grant, the city’s litter cleanups have been assisted by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and Clark County District Court Community Restitution crews. The grant, created through the Welcome to Washington – Litter Cleanup Act (SB5040), is limited to areas along highway ramps within the city.

To date, the special litter cleanups have taken place over three Saturdays along I-5 on-ramps and off-ramps at Fourth Plain Boulevard and East 39th Street. City Public Works staff have provided the work zone setup, traffic control, data collection, disposal/recycling of collected materials and project oversight, while the county’s Community Restitution crews have picked up the litter.

Much of what crews have cleaned up falls into the category of fast food and to-go packaging – disposable cups, bottles, plastics, paper, and bags – small items that should have been safely placed in a trash bag within a vehicle and properly disposed of later in a trash container. In addition to the litter and trash, crews also collected 14 bags of clean recyclable materials.

With recent increased state COVID-19 vaccination requirements, the city will transition from the use of Community Restitution crews to utilizing approved pre-registered, trained volunteers to help with future cleanups. Information will be provided on the city’s ramp litter cleanup project webpage as details become available. 

Litter is preventable, and cleanups are labor-intensive. It can take a lot of time and money to pick up a lot of little pieces of litter. Safety of the cleanup crews is also a significant concern and of the highest priority. Due to risks posed by traffic speeds and limited safe space for vehicles and crews, some ramp medians cannot be cleaned up under the city’s project.

The Department of Ecology estimates that more than 12 million pounds of litter is tossed or blown onto our highways each year. Help keep Washington litter free. Keep a bag in your vehicle to collect trash and unwanted materials and properly dispose of these at home or in designated trash/recycling containers. Remember that whether moving or going to a disposal site, all loads must be secured when transporting materials. Learn more here about statewide efforts to prevent and address roadside litter.

Information provided by city of Vancouver.