This annual event is held in conjunction with the Great American Cleanup of Keep America Beautiful and in partnership with support from the Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT, and Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association.
Additional partnering businesses include the American Chemistry Council, Keystone Sanitary Landfill, Pennsylvania Beverage Association, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, Republic Services, Steel Recycling Institute, and Waste Management.
The 2012 Great American Cleanup of PA will begin on March 1st and end on May 31st. During this period, registered events can get free bags, gloves, and vests from PennDOT district offices.
Events consist of litter cleanups, illegal dump cleanups, beautification projects, special collections, and educational events. Events must be registered through the Great American Cleanup of PA website to get these free cleanup supplies.
Pick It Up PA Days
As part of this event, the Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association are sponsoring Let’s Pick It Up PA – Everyday.
During the Pick It Up PA Days, registered event coordinators will be able to take the trash collected during their cleanup to participating landfills for free disposal. The Let’s Pick It Up PA – Everyday event will begin on April 21st and end on May 7th. The focus day will be April 21st.
All 67 counties in Pennsylvania were represented in the 2011 Great American Cleanup of PA. There were 4,222 events with 159,922 volunteers. Volunteers collected 354,267 bags of trash or 7,085,340 pounds. They cleaned 13,140 miles of roads, railroad tracks, trails, waterways, and shorelines, and 5,887 acres of parks and/or wetlands.
Additionally, volunteers planted 3,321 trees, bulbs, and plants in an effort to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
Since the inception of this event in 2004, over 61 million pounds of litter and waste have been removed from Pennsylvania’s landscape, and tens of thousands of trees, bulbs, and flowers have been planted.
To register your event, find an event near you, or to find additional resources, visit the Great American Cleanup of PA website. Any additional questions can be answered by Michelle Dunn, Great American Cleanup of PA Program Coordinator, at 1-877-772-3673 ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.