Earth Day: Let's Pick It Up PA Everyday Kicks Off On April 17

Let’s Pick It Up PA– Everyday kicks off Saturday, April 17, which coincides with the Great American Cleanup of PA.
This annual event, which runs until May 1st, allows groups registered with the Great American Cleanup of PA access to free landfill space with participating landfills.
“During the next two weeks” Shannon Reiter, President of PA CleanWays-Keep PA Beautiful explains, “Tens of thousands of volunteers across the state will rally their family, friends, and neighbors to do their part to make their communities a little bit better and for that, we thank them.”
The success the Great American Cleanup of PA has achieved over the years could not be possible without support from sponsoring agencies including the departments of Transportation and Environmental Protection and our business partners including the Pennsylvania Waste Industry Association, Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, Pennsylvania Beverage Association, Keystone Sanitary Landfill, and the Steel Recycling Institute.
“The Great American Cleanup of PA is shining example of how much we can accomplish when nonprofits, business, government agencies, and community members work together.” Reiter explains, “We are on track to have another record year!”
All 67 counties in Pennsylvania were represented in the 2009 Great American Cleanup of PA.
There were 4,837 events with 171,940 volunteers. Volunteers collected 344,021 bags of trash or 6,880,420 pounds. They cleaned 16,498 miles of roads, railroad tracks, trails, waterways, and shorelines, and 6,986 acres of parks and/or wetlands. Additionally, volunteers planted 6,264 trees, bulbs, and plants in an effort to keep Pennsylvania beautiful.
The 2010 Great American Cleanup of PA began on March 1st and ends on May 30th. 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.
Since the inception of this event in 2004, over 42 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 find an event near you, or to find additional resources on the Great American Cleanup of PA website. Any additional questions can be answered by the Great American Cleanup of PA Hotline at 1-877-772-3673 ext. 113.