RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolinians are being encouraged to roll up their sleeves and help beautify the state as the fall season approaches.
The N.C. Department of Transportation is inviting residents, community organizations and other volunteers to participate in the 2026 Fall Litter Sweep, Sept. 12-26. The statewide effort aims to remove trash and debris from state-maintained roadsides before North Carolina’s fall foliage season gets underway.
“Even with NCDOT crews, contractors and Adopt-A-Highway volunteers working year-round to maintain more than 80,000 miles of roadway, litter remains a challenge,” said Jeremy Goodwin, NCDOT’s roadside environmental engineer. “We’re proud of the volunteers who step up each season to help bridge that gap. The Fall Litter Sweep is a great opportunity for folks across the state to get outdoors, work together and help preserve our state’s beauty one pickup at a time.”
Litter Sweep is held twice each year, in the spring and fall, bringing volunteers together to clean roadsides in communities across North Carolina.
NCDOT provides volunteers with free cleanup supplies, including trash bags, gloves and safety vests. Supplies can be requested through local NCDOT county maintenance yard offices.
During the campaign, NCDOT maintenance crews and other staff will also focus on removing roadside debris and collecting bags filled by volunteers.
Residents interested in participating can contact their local NCDOT litter program coordinator for information about organizing a cleanup and obtaining supplies.
Participants are also encouraged to share photos and stories from their cleanup efforts on social media using #LitterSweepNC.
The Fall Litter Sweep provides an opportunity for individuals, families, civic groups, churches, schools and other organizations to work together to make their communities cleaner while helping showcase North Carolina’s natural beauty heading into autumn.
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