I’ve never responded to a blog before and I hope this one is not too long.
I was most impressed by yours and I’d like to amplify on some of the things you stated and add some thought of my own.
The fine volunteers from Ascension Lutheran Church are among some 7,200 groups and roughly 140,000 people participating in the PennDOTAdopt-A-Highway program, birthed in Texas in 1985 and in Pennsylvania five years later. Together, they help to clean about 17,000 miles of the 40,000 miles of roads the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) maintains. That figures out to be around 41.5% of all roadways that might be eligible for volunteer litter pickup.
Pennsylvania has the largest highway cleaning program in the nation. Every state (and a number of foreign countries) has established an Adopt-A-Highway program in their efforts to keep their roadways, etc. clean and attractive.
Littering is a very significant problem. It depreciates the value of our communities. It's unpleasing to the eye. It pollutes our waterways. It pollutes our neighborhoods. It's unhealthy to humans and animals. It's unattractive to visitors.
I think the success of PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program has to do with the average Pennsylvanian. They feel a need to give back to the community. This gives them a great avenue.
In our program, volunteers agree to clean a 2-mile section of a state road, at least four times a year for at least two years. PennDOT provides training and equipment, including gloves, reflective vests and bags, and picks up the bagged litter.
Participants are diverse, ranging from Boy Scouts and Kiwanis clubs to fans of the Dave Matthews Band and self-proclaimed witches. The Department of Corrections has had inmate volunteers doing litter clean up on many Interstate highways since 2003.
Adopt-a-Highway has made a difference in cleaning up the state by putting the solution to littering into the hands of individuals but we certainly can’t do it alone.
One of our closest allies in the fight is the nonprofit environmental organization, PA CleanWays, headquartered in Greensburg. PA CleanWays works hand-in-hand with PennDOT to eliminate illegal dumping in addition to eradicating littering.
The Adopt-A-Highway program saves taxpayers' money. In the last fiscal year, PennDOT spent $11.5 million cleaning up litter. Without these volunteers, that figure would soar to near $40 million. I would hate to think what the roadways would look like without or volunteers out there.
But there is hope and I see things getting better.
As a case in point, the results of the annual Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania (held this year on April 25) showed representation from all 67 Counties from Adopt-A-Highway groups and other community-oriented organizations. There were 4,837 events with 171,940 volunteers. These volunteers collected 344,021 bags of trash weighing 6,880,420 pounds or 3,440.21 tons. They cleaned 16,498 miles or roads, railroad tracks, trails, waterways and shorelines and 6,986 acres of parks and wetlands. Additionally, volunteers planted 6,264 trees, bulbs and plants in an effort to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
Individuals and/or groups wishing to participate should contact their PennDOT County Maintenance Office and ask for the Adopt-A-Highway coordinator. Each office has one.
Thanks for the opportunity to respond.
Dick Ebeling, Manager
PennDOT’s Statewide Beautification Programs
________________________________________
To participate
Requirements for participating in PennDOT’s Adopt-A-Highway program:
Groups agree to adopt portions of state highway to pick up litter a minimum of four times a year for two years. Participation automatically renews.

PennDOT reviews the selected section of highway and agrees that it is safe to be adopted.

Group leaders must use safety materials provided by PennDOT and conduct safety meetings with group members.

Adopting groups sign a participation form with PennDOT. Assistance is available through an Adopt-A-Highway Coordinator in each County Maintenance Office.

Participants must wear orange safety vests and post a "Litter Crew Ahead" sign during cleanups. Vests and signs are provided by PennDOT.

PennDOT will install two signs, one in each direction, naming the adopting group or individual who adopted that portion of highway.

Volunteers must be at least 8 years old and participants younger than 18 must be accompanied by adults.

Any civic-minded groups or individuals may participate, except those representing elected officials or candidates for public office.

Litter life
The life span of commonly discarded litter:
Glass bottle: about 1 million years
Plastic six-pack collar: 450 years
Aluminum can: 200 to 500 years
Plastic jug: 70 years
Rubber boot sole: 50 to 80 years
Steel cans: 50 years
Leather: Up to 50 years
Nylon fabric: 30 to 40 years
Degradable plastic bag: 10 to 20 years
Disposable diapers: 10 to 20 years
Cigarette butt: one to five years
Cotton rag: one to five months
Orange/banana peel: two to five weeks
Piece of paper: two to four weeks
Candy wrapper: one to three months
Rope: three to 14 months
Source: PennDOT

Yes, there's a AAH program in Australia and here's your contact information:

INTERNATIONAL ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY ASSOCIATION
INTERNATIONAL COORDINATORS AND CONTACTS

AUSTRALIA
Ms. Lana Badenko
Senior Librarian
Main Roads Western Australia
P.O. Box 6202
East Perth 6892
Western Australia
Australia

Mr. Robert Lavigne
Road Watch Chairman
Rotary Club of Blakiston, SA
P.O. Box 1107
Mount Barker, SA 5251
Australia

Tony Jones tony@keseb.asn.au
Road Watch Program Coordinator (08) 8234-7255 Phone
Keep South Australia Beautiful (08) 8234-7266 Fax
214 Grange Road
Flinders PK, SA 5025
Australia

Keep Australia Beautiful Victoria
Scott Hilditch shilditch@kabv.org.au
Senior Program Manager - Litter, 03 9484 2399 Phone
Stationeers - ‘Right on Track’, 03 9484 5699 Fax
Adopt-a-Roadside Website www.kabv.org.au
616 High Street
Thornbury Victoria 3148
Australia