Litter Abatement

​Reducing Litter on Kentucky Roadways

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In 2023, county and city governments removed 661,116 bags of litter on 172,226 miles of roadways. Most of the items found on roadways are plastic bottles and food containers.

Litter Abatement Grant Program​

Division of Waste Management Seeks Applications for Illegal Open Dump Cleanup, Litter Abatement Grants

The Energy and Environment Cabinet’s (EEC) Division of Waste Management (DWM) is calling for grant applications for two of its signature programs, illegal open dump cleanup and the cleanup of litter along public roads.

“Two of the most successful grant programs we have the honor of participating in, the Illegal Open Dump Grant has funded the cleanup of 2,749 dump sites since 2006, and the Litter Abatement Grant has assisted every single county maintain the scenic beauty of our roadways," said EEC Secretary Rebecca Goodman.​

Litter cleanup grant awards are awarded based on a formula that considers road miles, total population and rural population in each county. For dump cleanup grants, counties request specific amounts based on estimated dump costs.

Litter Abatement and Illegal Open Dump Grant Press Release​​​​​​​​

• 2026 County Litter Abatement Grant Cover Letter
  
  

• DEP 7118 City Litter Abatement Agreement
  

• DWM 4900 City Litter Abatement Closeout Reporting Form
  

• 2026 City Litter Abatement Grant Cover Letter​​​
  

• DEP 7117 County Litter Abatement Agreement
  

• Frequently Asked Questions for Litter Abatement Grant
  

• FEMA Rates 7-1-25​​​

• TRASH FOR CASH GUIDELINES FINAL​
  

The following documents are not required but are provided solely for the information and convenience of the grant recipients in tracking program activities and expenditures:

• Anti-Litter Control Program Expenditures and Documentation
  

Did your county or city receive a litter abatement grant?

• Counties and cities that received litter abatement grants in 202​5​​
  

Contact your county solid waste coordinator or judge/executive if a county road has a litter problem.

Criminal Littering Statutes

• 512.070 Criminal littering
  
• 512.010 Definition of Litter​
  
• 433.753 Criminal littering on public highway -- Rewards for information
  
• 433.757 Littering public waters -- Reward for information​​​
  

ADA Disclaimer ​

​​​​​​​​The Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet is dedicated to ensuring the pages of this website are accessible to individuals with disabilities and has made every effort to conform to the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, adopted by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Most forms that are Incorporated by Reference and may not be altered under state law. Some with interactive features may not be fully accessible to all users due to state law. Improvements to website accessibility will be added as those are available.  If you experience issues accessing any content of the Recycling & Local Assistance website, please contact eec.ada.compliance@ky.gov at the Kentucky Energy & Environment Cabinet. We will work with you to provide the information in an alternative format that meets your accessibility needs.  You may also contact Sherry.Creech@ky.gov or call 502-782-6044 regarding accessibility issues with the Kentucky Energy and Environment website.