State DOTs Kick Off Youth-Focused Litter Campaigns

The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and Oklahoma Department of Transportation recently initiated litter prevention campaigns targeted at elementary through high school students.

[Above image via Oklahoma DOT]

MoDOT began encouraging students statewide in kindergarten through 12th to participate in the agency’s 2025 “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter-Free” trash-can-decorating contest. The contest is part of MoDOT’s annual “No MOre Trash!” statewide litter campaign, which will be held in April.

The contest – which requires no entry free – encourages school-aged kids to join in the fight against litter by decorating a large trash can with the “No MOre Trash!” logo and a litter prevention message using a variety of creative materials. The agency said in a statement that schools, or home school programs, may submit one trash can entry in each competition category: grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

MoDOT said that participating school groups must submit a completed entry form online with up to three photos and a release form by March 14.

Entries are judged based on creativity, adherence to the contest rules and effective use of the theme and logo, MoDOT noted, with first-place winners from each competition category receiving a $200 award for the sponsoring schools. All first-place winners are then eligible for a grand prize of $600 and a trophy awarded to the sponsoring school, the agency added.

Meanwhile, the Oklahoma DOT recently kicked off its statewide Trash Poster Calendar contest, where winning artwork from kindergarten through 12th grade students will be included in the agency’s 2026 Oklahoma Trash Poster Calendar.

The agency said in a statement that its annual calendar showcases 14 student creations that promote litter reduction, especially along state highways.

Those winners will be rewarded with cash prizes: $300 for first place, $300 for the State Promotional Poster of the Year, $200 for second place, $200 for the Contest Entry Form Poster, and $150 for third place in each of the four grade divisions.

Students can enter in one of four categories based on their grade – K-2nd, 3rd-5th, 6th-8th, and 9th-12th – and must submit entries by January 31, 2026, to their local county Department of Environmental Quality office.

Local judging will take place in February or 2026 and winning entries will advance to the state competition in March 2026.