Riding the social media attention of the #Trashtag Challenge, the Department of Ecology is encouraging Washington teens to join its Ecology Youth Corps and clean up roadways across the state.
Teens between the ages 14-17 can apply. Deadlines for applications is April 1 for Central and Eastern regions, April 12 for Southwest and April 16 for the Northwest region.
The department is planning to hire 300 teenagers and will pay $12 per hour.
Last year, the Ecology Youth Corps collected more than 1 million pounds of litter and cleaned about 4,500 miles of road, according to the department's blog.
"Since 1975, the program has hired more than 12,000 Washington teens, offering them work experience, a summer job, and the chance to preserve Washington's natural beauty and protect our state's environment," the blog said.
“Litterers annually dump more than 12 million pounds of junk in our beautiful state,” said Peter Christiansen, manager for Ecology’s roadside litter crews. “We’ll take all the help we can get picking up that trash – but make sure you take a few commonsense precautions. And consider helping out your community by picking up garbage at a park or a school.”
The department advises anyone looking to clean up their community makes sure it is legal, face traffic and prepare an escape route if cleaning along roadways.
Application information can be found on the Department of Ecology's website.