Graphic by Dani Ramirez
Written by Timothy Walker
In the vast and vibrant California, keeping communities clean is no small task. For context, if every Californian picked up 61 pieces of trash, we’d have zero litter.
With the Clean California initiative, Caltrans is inviting local groups, from city governments and military bases to college campuses and grassroots organizations, to take an active role in transforming their surroundings.
I spoke with Jeff Burdick, Caltrans spokesperson and manager of the Clean California Public Education Program, about the Clean California Community designation, a recognition given to communities that commit to long-term litter reduction and environmental stewardship.
Burdick explained that the “Clean California Community designation is one element of the larger Clean California initiative for the community designation.” The $1.2 billion program was launched in June of 2021 by Governor Gavin Newsom in response to growing trash along state roads. Caltrans has long had a litter collection program, but this initiative has expanded those efforts, creating jobs, cleaning state highways, and in part “beautifying all communities in the state.”
Two-thirds of the $1.2 billion went toward grants “that either Caltrans would spend on infrastructure improvements to transit, cleaning things up, but also a large amount went to more than 300 different grants that were approved and local communities put in for,” Burdick said.
These funds allowed municipalities and counties to “create their own beautification and cleanup projects…from reclaiming distressed properties and turning them into neighborhood parks, perhaps completing or starting a bike trail, putting more receptacles around downtown areas,” in addition to commissioning more than “600 pieces of public art,” which he noted as “the largest public art program in California since almost 100 years ago during the Great Depression.”
Burdick emphasized that Caltrans wanted “to create a special designation for communities who want to be seen as leaders in the zero litter movement that we hope Clean California has launched throughout the state.”
Participating communities range widely. Some are “already known for being… a bit more advanced in having a deep program of litter reduction,” while others are “trying to get on a path and inspire more members of their community to be cleaner… to sparkle.” Criteria vary depending on the community’s starting point, and “it will vary how much time it takes” to complete the requirements, Burdick said.
Caltrans uses the designation to reward and recognize communities demonstrating long-term anti-litter commitment. Interestingly, no groups in our immediate area had joined the initiative until October of 2025, when a local group in El Rio took the pledge and began hosting cleanups.
So what criteria do these groups follow?
Groups “work with their municipality to try to achieve 10 of the 15 criteria needed to then earn the official designation as a Clean California community.” After taking the pledge, each group has a year to meet at least 10 criteria.
The first step is “taking the pledge to start the process,” followed by a “trash assessment” to establish a baseline. From there, groups initiate regular cleanup activities such as community cleanups, extra bulk trash days, and “ongoing measuring to see how effective the efforts are,” Burdick explained. Many communities also implement education campaigns to broaden local awareness.
The website, https://cleanca.com/designation/, contains the pledge form and detailed criteria. After signing up, a representative “very familiar with the process will contact you and then go over what’s the best pathway to achieve the designation for your particular community.” The site includes a map of participating groups, ranging from neighborhood councils to cities and counties. Groups can be administrative or grassroots. Any are welcomed in the push for a cleaner state.
Burdick noted that anyone who earns “this designation at this point” becomes “leaders because taking that first step is going to be something that a lot of other communities in California haven’t done.” Out of thousands of cities and communities in California, only 34 have achieved the designation and 120 have taken the pledge.
There is no fee to apply, and those who meet the criteria receive a free road sign for their community. Burdick described this as “kind of a tip of the spear to inspire,” since even with a surge of resources, trash can quickly accumulate again. By creating “300 plus local projects that hopefully become places of pride in their communities,” he hopes the momentum will continue.
This initiative could benefit CI as well. The less trash in surrounding areas, “the less they have to spend for cleanup crews and also the less trash is out there for any length of time.” Plus, it never hurts to show off a cleaner campus to incoming freshmen and transfers.
Only two colleges have signed the pledge so far, Sacramento State and Rio Hondo Community College. Joining them would place CI “in a prestigious place” and establish the university “as a leader in this movement,” Burdick said.
We at The CI View have shared this information with those we believe will find it useful and applicable to their own causes. But we strongly encourage those with the capacity and access to sign this pledge and become one of the many leaders of a cleaner California.
