CLIMATE MATTERS: Arizona volunteers clear record trash on National CleanUp Day

PHOENIX (KVOA) — Volunteers with the Arizona Department of Transportation’s Adopt a Highway program hauled away more than 2.6 tons of trash and litter from state highways during National CleanUp Day.

According to ADOT, more than 224 volunteers from 33 groups around the state filled 382 bags of trash from Arizona highways on Saturday, Sept. 19. The haul surpassed the 1.8 tons of trash volunteers removed during last year’s National CleanUp Day event.

Savanah Waters, who adopted a stretch of US 60 in Wickenburg in honor of her late brother, Jimmy “Tra” Waters, said it was a great opportunity for her family and friends to remember Jimmy while making a difference in their town.

“It’s just so heartwarming to see everyone have a good time and see what we’re doing for a good cause,” Waters said.

Groups registered to participate represented Springerville, Flagstaff, Payson, Marana, Sierra Vista, Bouse, Surprise and Rock Point, among other communities. ADOT will host an Adopt A Highway Route 66 Centennial Cleanup in Flagstaff on Saturday, Oct. 17, in celebration of its 100-year anniversary.

In 2025, nearly 8,000 people with 823 groups cleaned 1,982 miles of highway and filled 12,876 bags of trash and roadside litter. The labor value of those volunteers’ work is more than $589,000, according to ADOT.

To learn more about the Adopt a Highway program or to adopt your own segment, visit azdot.gov/adoptahighway.