382,000 pounds of roadside litter picked up by Washington DOT in June

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) said it picked up 191 tons of litter along roads last month-- that's equivalent to 382,000 pounds of trash. 

With help from the Ecology Youth Corps, the Department of Corrections and Adopt-a-Highway volunteers, WSDOT maintenance teams continue to tackle the ongoing problem of roadside litter throughout the state. 

That brings the total to approximately 459 tons of litter picked up by WSDOT so far this year, or 918,000 pounds. Of that amount, about 20% was large debris such as furniture, tires and dead animals. Another 20% was litter in or near homeless encampments.

WSDOT spends more than $3 million annually to pick up and dispose of litter across the state. The Washington State Patrol also issues fines to people who litter.