Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Thursday announced 136,507 volunteers collected 317,994 bags, or 6,359,872 pounds of trash, cleaned 13,603 miles of roads, railroad tracks, trails, waterways, and shorelines, and 9,113 acres of park and/or wetlands during the 2014 Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Great American Cleanup of PA.
Additionally, volunteers planted 31,406 trees, bulbs, and plants in an effort to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
This annual event is held in conjunction with Keep America Beautiful’s Great American Cleanup and in partnership with support from the Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association.
Additional sponsors include Waste Management, Republic Services, Steel Recycling Institute, and the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority.
As in years past, all 67 counties participated in this annual community improvement event. In total, there were 5,349 events with 136,507 volunteers.
Volunteers collected 317,994 bags, or 6,359,872 pounds of trash. They cleaned 13,603 miles of roads, railroad tracks, trails, waterways, and shorelines, and 9,113 acres of park and/or wetlands. Additionally, volunteers planted 31,406 trees, bulbs, and plants in an effort to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
“We are so grateful to our volunteers and sponsors who helped make the Great American Cleanup of PA successful again this year.” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Without volunteers on the ground coordinating and carrying out local events and sponsors supporting that work, it would not be a reality.”
The 2015 Great American Cleanup of PA will begin on March 1st and end on May 31st. During this period, events registered online will receive free bags, gloves, and vests from PennDOT District offices, as supplies last. Events can include litter cleanups, illegal dump cleanups, beautification projects, special collections, and educational events.
As part of this event, the Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association will sponsor Let’s Pick It Up PA – Everyday from April 12th- May 5th. During the Pick It Up PA Days, registered events will be able to take the trash collected during their cleanup to participating landfills for free or reduced disposal.
Since the inception of this event in 2004, more than 1,565,967 volunteers removed 80,575,227 pounds of litter and planted 136,321 trees, bulbs, and flowers.
The Great American Cleanup of PA is sponsored by Keep America Beautiful. The 2014 national sponsors were The Dow Chemical Company; The Glad Products Company; Lowe’s; Phillips 66; Troy-Bilt® Lawn and Garden Equipment; and Waste Management.
Registration for the Great American Cleanup of 2015 will open in mid- January.A copy of the 2014 results report is available online.