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It takes the whole community to fight the growing litter problem around the U.S. In Kitsap County, we've seen a huge commitment from our volunteers and citizens in reporting and cleaning up litter around the peninsula.
Learn how you can help by reporting garbage and how amazing people, just like you, are cleaning up litter. Plus, we'll give you more tips on how to prevent litter on our roads and beaches.
Adopt a Spot volunteers clean Kitsap
This Spring, we've seen a tremendous effort from volunteers in the Adopt a Spot program. Ten volunteer groups organized litter pickups around Earth Day, ranging in size from 3 volunteers to over 50!
The Adopt a Spot program supported several first-time volunteer groups, such as Kitsap OMS, with litter supplies and free disposal. These diverse groups cleaned many areas, including Olalla Bay, Indianola Beach, Suquamish Community, Charleston Business District and Sinclair Inlet.
 Young military men and women gathered to clean up litter for Earth Day 2022
We also have some powerful individuals who just began volunteering. People like Richard and Rebeca Robins, who became super volunteers nearly overnight, picking up 29 bags of litter in two weeks time! Plus, many longtime volunteers remain faithful to clean up litter, such as Kitsap Adventist School (former Earth Day Award winners), several military groups and caring, committed families.
 A volunteer's paw pal rests after picking up this pile of rubbish alongside the road.
You never know what you'll find when cleaning up litter. Maybe it's a new friend! Although, we hear a lot about the connections people make, we also hear about those unique items found. The Sinclair Inlet Group reported finding "a semi-truck tire, a 55-inch flat screen TV, a car grill, a car fender, two five-gallon buckets, a large over-stuffed sofa cushion, a grocery store shopping cart (retrieved from surrounding woods), and miscellaneous items (bottles, glass, paper, cigarette butts, and general rubbish)".
None of these items belong in or around our waterways. We are thankful for each of our volunteers who give their time to remove litter in our community. Together, Adopt a Spot volunteers are making a large impact!
Secure your load
What's the #1 way you can prevent litter? Secure your load. Litter is often caused when debris escapes from moving vehicles. We can prevent this with a few tricks to remember when traveling with loads.
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Pack lighter lower. Place lighter items below heavy items to weigh them down.
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Cover it up. Wrap a tarp or cargo net over the load to keep in place.
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Tie it down. Secure the load with straps to finish it off.
 Hire permitted haulers
Permitted haulers bring their loads to our facilities, know the cost of proper disposal and quote prices accordingly. When a hauler's price quote is much lower than competitors, it could mean they are not properly disposing of waste. If this happens, check to see if your quote is from a permitted hauler with Kitsap Pubic Health.
Travel with a trash bin
Reusable cloth waste bins give you a place to store trash in your vehicle until your next stop. Whether you're out on the water in your boat or traveling in a car, wind can easily pull items from their place, resulting in litter on our beaches and roads.
Don't let that empty cup on your dash end up floating in a lake or stream! Keep a trash bin that closes in your vehicles at all times. There are low-cost bags available with drawstrings or zipper closures that can easily attach to the back of your boat's captain seat or passenger area.
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