The Washington Department of Ecology is trying a new approach to cleaning up our state.
Have you met their friend, Kevin? He’s their new mascot— a marmot that doesn’t like littering.
He’s featured in a series of new commercials— playing the part of our conscience and reminding us that littering is a choice.
“This campaign brings those everyday moments to life and reminds us to listen to that inner voice that tells us to do the right thing. Even when no one else is around, our choices matter. Small decisions each day add up to a cleaner state we can all be proud to call home,” said Amber Smith, Ecology’s statewide litter prevention coordinator.
Washington addresses litter in two ways: prevention and pickup. Although picking up litter seems like the most direct way to tackle litter, Ecology’s Smith said that this isn’t a problem we can fix on the side of the road.
In 2025, Ecology and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) invested more than $17 million in litter cleanup efforts statewide.
According to the Department of Ecology, the 2025 collection totals are still being finalized. However, in 2024, paid crews and volunteers removed more than 6.2 million pounds of litter and cleaned over 19,000 miles of roadway.
The pickup numbers are big, but they’re still just a fraction of the 38 million pounds that gets littered each year along roads and in public areas. That’s about 5 pounds of litter for every single resident in Washington.
“Our litter crews and volunteers work hard to keep our roads clean, but we need every driver and every passenger to do their part – we all have a role to play in protecting our state’s natural beauty and environment,” Smith said.
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