Fall Pick Up Pennsylvania Cleanup Program in Progress
(October 13, 20210 Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania program is in full swing, now through November 30. The cleanup program is held in support of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Both waterway and land-based cleanups are eligible for the program since a significant portion of waterway pollution originates on land. Wind and rain wash litter into storm drains or directly into creeks and rivers that eventually flow to the ocean where it impacts marine life, human health and coastal economies.
The cleanup program is held each spring and fall as a way to encourage Pennsylvania residents to care for the places the love by picking up litter. This spring, from March through May, 60,505 people participated and picked up 2.2 million pounds of trash and planted 102,155 trees, flowers and other greens.
“We want to thank each and every one of the Pick Up Pennsylvania volunteers who joined together to create positive change and a lasting impact on our local environment this spring. Whether events were large or small, they all made a difference! It is the commitment of the volunteers that helps make this event a success year after year,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.
“Our fall cleanup is in progress now and we hope to see just as many people out there picking up litter to prevent it from reaching our oceans. You can help by cleaning up in and around your community! Grab a bag and collect litter from the side of the road, parks, fields and sidewalks before it finds its way into a storm drain or local waterway.”
Anyone wishing to participate in Pick Up Pennsylvania can visit https://www.keeppabeautiful.org/programs/pick-up-pa/ through November 30 to register a cleanup or for technical assistance. Free bags and gloves are provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, as supplies last. Events must be registered to receive the free supplies.
Participants are encouraged to observe the most recent local, state and federal guidelines and/or restrictions to reduce the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
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About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has worked with hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state to pick up nearly 148 million pounds of trash from Pennsylvania’s roadways, waterways, greenways, vacant lots, forestlands and other community spaces. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s core programming focuses on litter and illegal dump prevention, cleanup, community greening, and proper waste handling and sustainable practices. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful works with many partnering organizations on the state and grassroots level to accomplish our goal of a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is the state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization. To learn more about Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, visit www.keeppabeautiful.org.
