Who wants to look at mile after mile of litter-filled freeways and highways? Roads are covered in cigarette butts, fast food wrappers, soda and coffee cups...But litter is more than ugly—it's actually harmful to our waterways including lakes, rivers and beaches.

Many people don't know that litter and pollution from our freeways and highways can wind up in the storm drains. While the storm drains are meant to carry clean rainwater off the roads, any litter and debris that ends up in them can actually flow directly into public bodies of water. This means that the water we swim in, sail in and surf in can get more and more polluted with each piece of litter that is tossed onto the roadways.

Caltrans' Don't Trash California program is a 22-month effort to help combat this problem, but you can also help. Start by keeping a litterbag in your car that you toss into a trashcan when it's full.

That's a neat and clean solution, right?

Find out what you can do to prevent litter

The California Department of Transportation, Division of Maintenance, spends a total of $41,000,000 on litter removal, as follows:

	Road Patrol/Pickup	$9,800,000
	Sweeping	$13,400,000
	Litter Pick Up	$18,000,000
	(143,000 Cubic Yards)

And littering can cost you personally as well because you can be fined up to $1,000 every time you litter.

Note: Litter removal costs provided by Caltrans Maintenance Program, 10/2005