INDOT celebrates Earth Day with Trash Bash! event

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces the agency’s Trash Bash! event will take place April 21 through 23, coinciding with Earth Day. Trash Bash! is an opportunity for volunteers to help beautify the state’s roadside areas by picking up trash and debris. Previously an annual event, the program was temporarily halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

INDOT encourages individuals, organizations, businesses and active Adopt-a-Highway groups to sign up to participate along two-lane roads with lower traffic volume between Friday, April 21 and Sunday, April 23, in an effort to clean up roadside areas.

In past years, INDOT and Trash Bash! participants collected thousands of bags of trash, filling hundreds of dumpsters worth of litter and debris.

In 2023, INDOT will invest approximately $32 million for mowing, litter pick-up and herbicide application along state highways and interstates. More information about INDOT's Roadside Management Program is available here.

To participate in Trash Bash!, contact INDOT customer service by phone at 855-INDOT4U (463-6848) or online at indot4u.com. Signed waivers are required for all participants. Volunteers will be connected with an INDOT Trash Bash! coordinator to receive:

• An assigned cleanup location (interstates and roadways with higher traffic volumes are not eligible);
• A briefing on roadside safety;
• Safety vests to be worn at all times;
• And trash bags.

All trash collected by participating groups should be disposed of properly. Volunteers may dispose of trash on their own, deliver it to an INDOT location (this should be arranged when picking up safety vests and supplies) or work with a Trash Bash! coordinator to schedule pick up by INDOT.

INDOT offers opportunities for Hoosiers to help keep roadside areas clean year-round through its Adopt-a-Highway and Sponsor-a-Highway programs. Both are great opportunities for volunteering, community service projects, and offer a highly-visible option for showcasing businesses or non-profit groups.

Motorists are reminded to watch for work crews and volunteers along Indiana highways. As drivers encounter crews, they should slow down, move over, be aware of changing traffic patterns, and always avoid distractions such as cell phones while driving.