Keep PA Beautiful: Still Time To Organize, Join An International Coastal Cleanup In Your Community

There is still time to participate in the 2019 Pick Up Pennsylvania, a fall cleanup program supporting the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. 

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful invites individuals, families, friends, civic organizations and businesses to coordinate a cleanup or join an existing cleanup to remove litter from our neighborhoods and local waterways to prevent it from reaching our oceans.

A significant portion of waterway pollution originates on land. When it rains, trash on sidewalks and streets accumulates and is swept into storm drains. 

Most storm drain systems discharge directly into the nearest creek or river, eventually flowing to the ocean taking all the trash with it. To prevent litter from ending up in our waterways, 

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful coordinates Pick Up Pennsylvania, in support of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, through October 31 and provides tools to help cleanup organizers put on successful cleanup events.

“Never organizing a clean‐up like this before, I had no idea if anyone would sign‐up to help. Sixty-seven employees from a local company committed to helping us with our cleanup!” said Heather McKay who coordinated City Island Cleanup in Harrisburg.  “Thank you again for all of your help and guidance.” 

During their cleanup, 72 volunteers picked up over 500 cigarette butts, nearly 200 plastic bottles and bags, food wrappers, foam, cans and other trash. 

“Whether you are cleaning up a local waterway, your local park or the street that you live on – it all makes a difference in the amount of litter reaching our oceans. We are proud to provide the resources and supplies needed to help volunteers improve our communities,” explained Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “There is still time to participate. Join us and make a difference in your community.”

Last year, 577 events were held across Pennsylvania - 13,297 volunteers removed 523,855 pounds of trash and tires from Pennsylvania’s waterways, coastal regions, parks, sidewalks, streets and neighborhoods, preventing litter and debris from making its way downstream.

The International Coastal Cleanup is the largest volunteer effort aimed at improving the health of our oceans that engages hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the world to remove millions of pounds of plastics and debris from inland areas and waterways.  

To register an event or find a cleanup event near you, visit the KPB Pick Up Pennsylvania webpage.  Click Here to find cleanup tools and resources to help organize a safe and successful cleanup.

Gloves and bags are available for registered events while supplies last. 

Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn, Keep PA Beautiful’s Cleanup Coordinator, at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.    

For more information on programs, initiatives and special events, visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful website. Click Here to become a member.  Click Here to sign up for regular updates from KPB, Like them on Facebook, Follow on Twitter, Discover them on Pinterest and visit their YouTube Channel.

Also visit the Illegal Dump Free PA website for more ideas on how to clean up communities and keep them clean and KPB’s Electronics Waste website.

[Posted: October 19, 2019]  www.PaEnvironmentDigest.com