~ Free cleanup supplies available for registered cleanups through November 30 ~

(November 1, 2024) Groups and individuals are cleaning up their favorite shared public spaces through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania program, supporting the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. The International Cleanup is an initiative to keep trash from reaching our waterways and oceans. Through November 30, volunteers will be provided trash bags, gloves, and safety vests, as supplies last, when they register a cleanup with Pick Up Pennsylvania. 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

Erie County proudly participates in the international coastal cleanup annually. This year, Keep Erie County Beautiful partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to host the Pennsylvania Lake Erie International Coastal Cleanup. The cleanup saw approximately 1,000 dedicated volunteers covering 16 locations and 40 miles of shoreline and waterways! Together, they collected over 4,000 pounds of trash from in and around Erie County’s waterways, preventing it from reaching the ocean.

“Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is proud to be the state coordinator for the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Pennsylvania consistently ranks in the top five nationwide for volunteer participation and trash collection. We couldn’t do it without the generosity of dedicated volunteers who roll up their sleeves to pick up trash before it makes it way to our waterways. Organizations, civic groups, schools, individuals, friends, and family can organize a cleanup of their favorite waterway, park, trail or other place they care about. Big or small, all cleanups make a difference,” said Michelle Dunn, Pick Up Pennsylvania Program Coordinator.

Events must be registered with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful to receive supplies. You can join an existing cleanup event by visiting Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Calendar of Events at keeppabeautiful.org, or register your own, large or small, by visiting keeppabeautiful.org, Programs, Pick Up PA.

Listed below are just a few of the Pick Up Pennsylvania events scheduled in support of the International Coastal Cleanup. If you would like to join an event, please contact the coordinator to confirm participation.

• Love Your Park Fall Weekend, Philadelphia County – Friday, November 8 at 12:00 PM; Over 90 parks will participate. Contact Fairmount Park Conservancy, Jose Duenas at eduenas@myphillypark.org or (215) 607-3487.
• 2024 Campaign Sign Recycling Event, Delaware County – Friday, November 8 from 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM and Saturday, November 9 from 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Rose Tree County Park. All Campaign Signs and accompanying metal stands will be accepted free of charge. All applicable materials will be recycled; Contact Delaware County Office of Sustainability, Rebecca Yurkovich at yurkovichr@co.delaware.pa.us or (484) 846-2075.
• Coatesville Litter Clean Up, Chester County – Saturday, November 9 from 7:30 AM – 2:00 PM; Help clean up Coatesville! First event is cleaning up Rt 82 will be run by the Litter Lifters of West Vincent – 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM. The second event is cleaning up the city streets and sidewalks and will be run by Shakira Davis of 2nd Century Alliance – 10 AM. – 2 PM. Contact Litter Lifters of West Vincent, Beth Intoccia at litterliftersofwestvincent@gmail.com or (484) 639-1067.
• Sugar Notch Trail Tire Cleanup, Luzerne County – Sunday, November 17 from 9 AM – 1 PM; Contact Keep Northeastern PA Beautiful Rachael Stark at rstark@pecpa.org or (570) 905-7391.

Free trash bags, gloves and safety vests 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.

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About Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful
Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s mission is empowering Pennsylvanians to keep our communities clean and beautiful. Since 1990, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has worked with hundreds of thousands of volunteers across the state to pick up nearly 158 million pounds of trash from Pennsylvania’s roadways, waterways, greenways, vacant lots, forestlands and other shared 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.

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