The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Department of Environmental Protection, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, and the Pittsburgh Steelers teamed up to encourage Pennsylvanians to “Pick Up PA” ahead of the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh in April. The 2026 Pick Up Pennsylvania litter cleanup initiative is a collaborative effort between PennDOT, and DEP, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful that gives Pennsylvanians the opportunity to keep their communities clean and free from litter.
“With the eyes of the world pointing at the Commonwealth, we are eternally grateful to our committed volunteers for helping us Pick Up PA,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “We are all stewards of our environment. I encourage everyone to get involved in Pick Up PA, and, if you own a business, consider sponsoring a roadway in the Commonwealth.”
“One of the key parts of DEP’s mission is partnership, and it is thanks to tremendous partners like Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, PennDOT, Adopt-A-Highway sponsors, and so many others that we are fighting litter in Pennsylvania,” said DEP Secretary Jessica Shirley. “Thanks to volunteers across the Commonwealth we are ready to keep Pennsylvania and America litter-free for the next 250 years.”
The 2026 Pennsylvania tourism season – including the NFL Draft, PGA Championship, FIFA World Cup, MLB All-Star Series and America250PA – is expected to bring more than 209 million travelers to the Commonwealth with 600,000 fans expected for the Draft in Pittsburgh alone.
Through PennDOT’s Sponsor-A-Highway program, local businesses and organizations can secure agreements with a PennDOT vendor who uses skilled maintenance forces to remove litter on roadways such as interstates and expressways, especially in areas where volunteer litter groups cannot safely pick up litter. Sponsors are recognized with a newly designed roadside acknowledgement sign displaying their business name and logo, and also listed on PennDOT’s website.
In 2025, 81,500 volunteers participated in Pick Up Pennsylvania. Over 4 million pounds of litter and trash were picked up, 6.1 million pounds recycled, and nearly 63,000 trees, flowers and other greens were planted.
