Spring cleaning is a tradition around the house. The same is true for areas outside the home, especially the roadsides.

Over the winter, when snow covers trash tossed from cars, litter accumulates with little notice. Now that the snow is gone, the amount of plastic bottles, fast-food wrappers, cans, plastic grocery bags and other trash is apparent — and disgusting.

Some sections of roads look like ad hoc garbage dumps. If allowed to remain, it sends a message that people here don’t care.

In recent years, roadside cleanup efforts have been organized by the state Department of Transportation, groups of volunteers, and with companies or individuals participating in the Adopt-a-Highway program.

The annual litter cleanup efforts have become a spring tradition, when people are seen walking along area roads, filling garbage bags. Beyond being grateful for the volunteers’ efforts, the litter cleanup brings another thought to mind: Why? What is wrong with people who toss all this trash from their cars and trucks? What did they learn from their parents?

Roadside litter is a reminder of the thoughtlessness of people.

An article in the April 7 Butler Eagle explained that from now until May 31, PennDOT is promoting the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania.

The lead sponsors of the events are PennDOT, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful and the state Department of Environmental Protection. Many motorists, seeing signs on the roads or noticing cleanup crews on the berms, rightly connect PennDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway program with the annual cleanup effort.

Last year, about 140,000 volunteers collected 6.7 million pounds of trash, debris and litter along roads and waterways across the state.

Many local groups in Butler County, including churches, Scout troops, service organizations and private businesses, are part of the volunteer cleanup campaign.

The April 7 article listed various cleanup efforts — the days, times and locations in the city, Butler Township and in surrounding communities.

PennDOT spends about $11 million a year paying its employees to pick up litter and debris along state highways. The volunteer cleanup efforts doubtless save PennDOT millions of dollars — so the money can be used for work that volunteers can’t do, like repairing roads and bridges.

People interested in joining a cleanup effort can contact either PennDOT or municipal officials in their town or township.

And it’s not just roads that can be targeted for cleanup efforts. Parks, trails and other areas can benefit from cleanup and litter collection by volunteers.

The tradition of volunteers cleaning up litter and trash from roads is praiseworthy, but it wouldn’t be necessary if so many people didn’t thoughtlessly toss their trash on the ground instead of putting it in a trash can.