It’s spring cleaning time. The month of April marks Missouri’s annual No MOre Trash! Bash coordinated by the Missouri Department of Transportation. During the annual statewide anti-litter event, volunteers are encouraged to clean up litter adjacent to highways to help beautify Missouri.
The No MOre Trash! Bash is an annual outreach of MoDOT’s year-round litter control efforts. It has been held every spring since 2004 except for 2020 when COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the event out of safety concerns. Additional COVID-19 restrictions limited the use of nearly 240 work release prisoners and required social distancing for field operations engaged in litter control performed by MoDOT staff. These factors have contributed to a marked increase in trash along Missouri’s highways.
Last year, MoDOT spent $6.4 million to remove litter from more than 385,000 acres of roadsides along 34,000 state highway miles. The annual volunteer efforts to pick up litter along Missouri highways - including the Adopt-A-Highway program - have been valued at more than $1 million.
This year’s No MOre Trash! Bash kickoff will include virtual events with Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, students and community groups interested in participating in roadside trash pickup. Trash bags and safety vests will be provided to groups engaged in litter pickup.
Groups are encouraged to exercise special COVID-19 safety precautions. To learn more about how you can safely participate, visit www.modot.org/adopt-highway or call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (1-888-275-6636).
