Manassas, VA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 04/23/2018 --Virginia's highways are strewn with litter, and the situation is only getting worse, according to state authorities. As local blogger Lisa Provence reports, volunteers in the Adopt-a-Highway program are having a hard time keeping up with the seemingly endless stream of litter dropped on their stretches of road.
The Adopt-a-Highway program is one of the government's most successful efforts to keep trafficked areas relatively clean and free from potentially dangerous litter. The program parcels out short stretches of state highways and delegates responsibility for cleanup to volunteers, many of whom are local residents and business owners, retired senior citizens and civic groups like the Boy Scouts of America. Other sections of highway are maintained by jail inmates, many of whom have been convicted of relatively minor offenses and who pick up litter on weekends to meet their public service requirements.
These efforts have been strained lately, however, as a seemingly endless stream of trash has found its way to the sides of Virginia's public roads. This increase in volume has put strain on the usual mechanisms for keeping the roads clear, and even paid laborers report removing several tons of garbage from local thoroughfares on each trip.
Authorities have some options for dealing with the flow of trash. Inmates in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail are often drafted into service on the side of the road, where they pick up and bag trash in exchange for credit toward their court costs and fines. Local businesses that wish to have their names displayed on roadside signs can apply to the Virginia Department of Transportation and take part in at least two cleanups in a limited time frame before the state will provide the signage. This is a good investment for many local companies, though renewals are uncommon.
Private residents are having more trouble with their cleanup efforts. Many residents, frustrated with the seeming inability of the state to keep up, can check out safety gear, such as orange vests and gloves, from their local VDOT office. Most report filling several 30-gallon bags with trash on each trip, and disposing of it all is getting to be an issue for some.
Organizing a joint dumpster rental in VA can be a realistic solution to the disposal problem volunteers are facing. By renting a 10- or 20-yard container and then arranging to have it delivered to a safe spot not far from the pickup site, volunteers can get the satisfaction of doing their part for the community without the hassle and expense of a trip to the landfill on their own.
About ESI Waste
ESI Waste offers dumpsters in a range of sizes that highway volunteers can have delivered to private residences and friendly local businesses for efficient litter cleanup. There's no cost or obligation to a phone consultation, so call and ask about a dumpster rental in VA for your next roadside cleanup this spring.
