Caltrans workers clean up 300 tons of trash along central coast highways

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Caltrans workers have collected about 300 tons of trash along central coast highways, enough to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Workers picked up tires, electronics, and general waste and debris from encampments, illegal dumping, and vehicle littering along and adjacent to state highways.

Over a six month period starting in July of last year, more than 70,000 cubic yards of trash have been picked up in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties.

The cleanup effort is part of Governor Gavin Newsom's $1.2 billion Clean California program.

Caltrans has removed more than 2.1 million cubic yards of litter from state highways since the program began in July of 2021. That is enough to fill 634 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Since the clean-up program began, Caltrans District 5 workers have collected 90,000 cubic yards of trash, which could fill 26 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Caltrans District 5 operates from Santa Barbara to Santa Cruz County.

The Clean California program helps communities beautify their public spaces while creating thousands of jobs according to program's website.

The program says one study found that if every person in the country picked up 152 pieces of trash, the entire nation would be litter-free.