A grant-funded program has allowed workers to remove nearly three-quarters of a ton of garbage from two Interstate 5 ramps in Vancouver over the course of three weeks.
Crews picked up more than 1,380 pounds of disposable cups, bottles, plastics and other items at ramps near Fourth Plain Boulevard and East 39th Street in a cleanup effort led by Vancouver Public Works.
In total, crews gathered 143 bags of litter, 62 illegally dumped bags and 14 bags of recyclable materials along the six ramps.
The state Department of Ecology estimates that more than 12 million pounds of litter are tossed or blown onto highways each year.
“Litter is preventable, and litter cleanup is a task we’d love to avoid,” said Julie Gilbertson, Vancouver’s solid waste supervisor.
Vancouver’s coordinated cleanups are made possible by a $40,000 state Department of Ecology Community Litter Cleanup grant, which is limited to areas along the city’s freeway ramps. City staff intends on having two cleanups per month until the funding ends in June 2023.
Clark County community restitution crews and the Washington State Department of Transportation assisted the city in its efforts.
Loretta Callahan, spokesperson for Vancouver Public Works, said the agency is putting a plan together to involve trained volunteers. Many people have expressed interest in participating in the cleanup efforts, she said, but there are logistical procedures the grant provider has in place that must be followed.
Litter removal is labor-intensive, costly and completely avoidable, Gilbertson said. Until volunteer openings are available, residents can help by keeping bags in their vehicles to collect their garbage until it can be disposed of properly.
