State litter statistics show progress, but a lot of trash remains on Kitsap roadways

You know all that trash you notice along Kitsap's highways as spring approaches? Someone's coming to get it. Or at least some.

Crews from the state Department of Ecology began the annual task of clearing state highways of litter on March 1, with four groups of four-to-six adult employees working Kitsap roads. Other teams, including work crews from the Department of Corrections and community volunteer groups, will join as spring and summer progress, and the Ecology's statewide litter program is anticipating continued funding from the state Legislature to extend contracted vendors, which worked over the past winter thanks to a $2 million allocation in 2022.

All those hands, yet there's so much garbage out there.

In a report released Thursday, Ecology reported that statewide more than 4.5 million pounds of litter was picked up statewide in 2022. That includes more than 2.5 million pounds in the seven-county Northwest region, which includes Kitsap County, and a total in Kitsap of 413,697. The state total was a jump of about 200,000 pounds from the year prior, and nearly 1 million more than was collected in 2020. Regionally, the Northwest total — which also includes King, Island, San Juan, Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom — was 1 million pounds higher than in 2021. And Kitsap led the whole group in the number of "dump sites" — more than even King County.

The effort to clean it all up dramatically increased as well. More than 150,000 hours statewide — a 20 percent increase from 2022 — and more than 10,000 hours in Kitsap alone were recorded by the series of groups tasked with the job.

"In Kitsap and across the state, we're seeing more miles, more pounds, and more partners," said Amber Smith, statewide litter prevention coordinator for the Department of Ecology.

Despite the increase in time dedicated to the job and volumn of litter picked up, a telling statistic is that fewer miles were covered overall. In the Northwest region, for example, the miles covered have been cut by more than half from nearly 9,000 in 2020, when 2.2 million pounds of litter were collected, even though nearly 1.5 million more pounds of litter was totaled in 2022 than two years earlier.

"It's just another indicator there's more litter today," Smith said.

That's why urban corridors can be so shocking, added Smith, where litter piles up at a density that's estimated at 1,500 pounds per mile over the course of the year. In a study commission by Ecology, a "snapshot" point in time estimated that 22.2 million pounds of litter was on state roadways last year. All that effort only collects a quarter of it.

Despite the sobering totals, Smith says the numbers also indicate we are moving in the right direction. In addition to the clean up crews, which cost the state approximately $12 million annually, and the volunteers who help out, campaigns from her office on litter prevention are taking root and the "We Keep Washington Litter Free" effort will launch in April. Smith said Ecology distributed 18,000 vehicle trash bags through Fred Meyer stores last year, provided cargo nets to individuals to help contain loads, and partnered with Washington State Patrol on emphasis patrols to target vehicles that litter. Her agency also has a partnership with the Washington Refuse and Recycling Association to identify and correct trash-collection vehicles that are observed violating litter laws.

"It's been 20 years since we've had this level of funding, awareness and support," Smith said.

With the litter amounts as high as they are, Smith says the focus must be prevention. Another project Ecology launched over the past year was a survey, asking self-identified litterers to recommend what steps would help them stop. It's where the idea for distributing more bags from, for example. But the No. 1 answer, named by 26 percent of respondents, the majority of whom were men ages 18-40, was having a friend or family member in the car who simply asks or reminds the driver to find a trash can instead of tossing something outside.

"Pickup is always great, but it's a huge job and we need everybody's help," Smith said. "That peer pressure does make a difference."

Read Ecology's 2022 litter pickup summary at https://ecology.wa.gov/Waste-Toxics/Solid-waste-litter/Litter/Litter-pickup, and find more information about joining Kitsap County's "Adopt-a-Spot" program at https://www.kitsapgov.com/pw/Pages/cleankitsap.aspx.

Supplemental budget request to continue the contract with an outside vendor to provide the extra six crews and winter collection efforts.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: State collection numbers illustrate challenge of litter on Kitsap road