Have you gone on a walk or drive around Seattle and spotted those bright yellow bags? We’re pretty sure you’ve seen them. Curious about what they’re for? We’ve got the answers.
Those yellow bags come from our Adopt a Street (AAS) program! This program provides free supplies, like yellow trash bags, trash pickers, safety vests, and gloves, to volunteers who want to help clean up their neighborhoods.
Since its beginning, the program has grown into much more than just adopting a street. With over 1,640 active volunteers, we support community-led organizations hosting regular cleanups, companies, and groups that want to give back with one-time cleanups. Whether you want to commit long-term or just show up once in a while, we’ve got you covered.
Our AAS community is one of the best to join—not just because we’re fun (which we are), but because this work makes a real difference. You’ll explore the city, connect with your neighbors, and help protect the environment and community health. In 2024 alone, our volunteers collected 258,540 pounds of waste. That’s about 17 adult orcas’ worth of garbage removed from our green spaces and kept out of our beautiful Puget Sound.
In 2023, we launched the All Hands Neighborhood Cleanup, partnering with A Cleaner Alki and other local groups. From March to November, we’re teaming up to beautify six Seattle neighborhoods with ten cleanups, tackling litter and graffiti to create a more welcoming city. These events are easy to join. Just show up, grab a bag, and start cleaning. We’ll bring the tools; you bring the good vibes. At the end, hand everything back, done and dusted.
As we love to say: You bag it, we pick it up—it’s that easy!
Learn more about our programs and discover how you can help Seattle Spring Together.
Adopt a Street is part of Seattle Clean City, working year-round to keep Seattle clean and healthy. Check out more of the impact this team is making in our community beyond volunteering.