Pick Up Pennsylvania Helps Keep Litter From Reaching Waterways
Volunteers from Tidings of Peace Christian School clean up the local community during the annual Trash-A-Thon.
(The Bradford Era) People 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, an initiative to keep trash from reaching our waterways and oceans.
Through Nov. 30, volunteers will be provided trash bags, gloves and safety vests, provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, 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.
“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 trash properly disposed and diverted from entering our waterways and oceans. 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.
