The New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development recently stepped up their anti-litter campaign efforts.
[Above photo by New Jersey DOT]
The New Jersey DOT noted that a key component of its summer 2026 anti-litter campaign will be an aircraft-towed banner with the message “Keep it Clean NJ” over 147 miles of coastline between Cape May and Sandy Hook each weekend through Labor Day.
The agency expects its aerial message will be viewed by approximately two million people each weekend.
“With the start of summer, New Jersey’s highways will be filled with people driving to vacation destinations across the state – whether they are going to hike the Appalachian Trail in North Jersey or going down to the Shore to enjoy our beaches and boardwalks,” explained Priya Jain, New Jersey DOT’s commissioner, in a statement.
[Editor’s note: The Wyoming Department of Transportation just released a video report detailing the efforts of its Adopt-A-Highway program.]
“Keeping our roadways, bike paths, and boardwalks clean and litter free is everyone’s responsibility,” she added. “Flying a banner in the skies above the Jersey Shore, as well as over the World Cup matches, is a creative and simple way to remind millions of people to respect the environment and keep New Jersey beautiful by simply putting trash in its proper place.”
Meanwhile, the Louisiana DOTD is launching a “Sponsor A Highway” program this summer; an initiative designed to give local businesses a more “visible way” to help keep state roads clean and give back to their communities, all while promoting their products and services.
Through the program, businesses sponsor professional litter cleanup along selected highway corridors. In recognition of that support, sponsors receive roadside signage identifying their contribution to cleaner Louisiana roadways while giving companies a simple, tangible way to support community pride while helping address a persistent statewide challenge.
To that end, the agency – in partnership with Adopt A Highway Maintenance Corporation – recently recognized Keefe’s Air Conditioning, Heating, Electrical, Generator & Plumbing of New Orleans as the first state sponsor to join the Sponsor A Highway program.
Louisiana DOTD noted that its Sponsor A Highway program is scheduled to be implemented in several key Louisiana areas alongside New Orleans, including Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Shreveport, and St. Tammany Parish.
“Keeping Louisiana’s highways clean is a shared responsibility, and partnerships like this allow us to extend our impact beyond what state resources can accomplish alone,” said Glenn Ledet, Louisiana DOTD secretary, in a statement.
“We appreciate Keefe’s for stepping up as New Orleans’ first Sponsor A Highway participant,” he added. “They will help us create cleaner, safer, and more welcoming roadways for the people who live, work, and travel across our state.”
The program comes at a “meaningful time” for the state, Ledet stressed, as in 2025 alone his agency spent approximately $15.4 million removing 96,000 cubic yards of litter from state roadways, enough to fill roughly 6,000 large dump trucks.
