Virginia Volunteers Remove 1M Bags of Trash Since 1988

James Downing has seen it all on Virginia's roadsides: dirty diapers, alcohol bottles, cigarette butts scattered across the very roads that connect communities. For 15 years, he's shown up once a week to pick up what others carelessly tossed aside, believing deeply that litter "devalues the whole community."

Downing represents something powerful happening across Virginia. Since 1988, the Virginia Department of Transportation's Adopt-a-Highway program has rallied everyday people to take ownership of their local roads, and together they've removed nearly 1 million bags of trash.

Today, more than 3,500 volunteer groups maintain over 8,000 miles of Virginia roadway. Schools, businesses, civic organizations, and families commit to cleaning two-mile stretches twice a year, armed with trash bags and safety equipment provided by VDOT.

Kordelia Coyne adopted a roadway near her home after watching trash flow into ditches and wash downstream into local creeks. "It's sad to watch because it flows right into our ecosystems," she said, thinking about animals drinking contaminated water and children playing in polluted streams.

The program asks for a modest commitment but delivers outsized results. Volunteers clean their adopted sections just twice yearly, yet their collective effort saves taxpayer dollars on maintenance costs while raising awareness about littering's true cost.

The Ripple Effect

What started as picking up roadside trash has grown into something deeper: a culture of environmental stewardship spreading across the commonwealth. When volunteer Wendy Teeter reflects on her 20 years with the program, she doesn't focus on the endless cycle of new litter appearing. "Even if the next day there's some trash and litter again, you feel you've made some impact," she said.

That impact shows up in cleaner roadsides, protected ecosystems, and communities taking pride in their shared spaces. After volunteers complete two cleanups, VDOT installs blue recognition signs along their adopted road, creating visible reminders that ordinary people are doing extraordinary work.

The program makes joining simple: volunteers select an available two-mile stretch on VDOT's website, receive free supplies and training, and report their pickups through the Keep Virginia Beautiful app, where they can even compete for prizes and recognition.

Twenty volunteers showing up twice a year becomes 8,000 miles of protected roadway, and 8,000 miles of care becomes nearly 1 million bags of trash removed from Virginia's natural beauty.