The Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association and the PA Soft Drink Association teamed up to help groups all across Pennsylvania participate in the Great PA Cleanup!

'Bring Us 10,000 Tons of Trash!'

"Bring us 10,000 tons of trash!" That's the challenge issued to volunteers in the 2nd annual Great PA Cleanup by landfill operators who belong to the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association (PWIA).

Participating PWIA members are providing free disposal for the litter and trash that volunteers collect from roadways, parks, riverbanks, and open spaces on April 23. The cleanup is a statewide effort held in conjunction with Earth Day.

PWIA President Tom McMonigle estimated the value of free landfill disposal of 10,000 tons of trash at half a million dollars.

PWIA represents private-sector waste haulers and landfill operators in Pennsylvania and is a major sponsor of the Great PA Cleanup.

McMonigle said it wouldn't be possible for all trash to be hauled to landfills the same day it's collected, so participating landfills will accept trash from the cleanup for up to and including April 29.

Volunteers planning to take trash to a landfill should make sure they can document that they're registered participants in the Great Pennsylvania Cleanup, which is necessary to qualify for free disposal.

In addition to supporting projects like the Great PA Cleanup, PWIA is also a charter member of the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Business Council.

PA Soft Drink Association Partner in Nine Great PA Cleanup Events

The Pennsylvania Soft Drink Association is donating 120 cases of bottled water and other beverages to nine local groups around the state in support of roadside, park and watershed cleanups to support the Great PA Cleanup! on April 23.

“The Great PA Cleanup! is a wonderful opportunity to show how much people do care and to convince others littering is not only wrong, but illegal,” said Crisci. “We are glad our member companies can make the volunteers efforts a little more comfortable by providing some refreshments along the way.”

In 2004 over 100,000 people participated in roadside and streamside cleanups across Pennsylvania through The Great PA Cleanup! picking up over 233,000 bags of trash.

“Beverage companies are pleased to join forces with public agencies, the waste industry, recycling groups, tourist organizations, farm and sportsmen groups from all over Pennsylvania to be part of this unique event,” said Crisci. “Specifically, we want to thank DEP Secretary Kathleen McGinty and Transportation Secretary Allen Biehler for putting together this initiative.”

Member companies are providing beverages to the following cleanups—

· Allegheny County: Hazelwood Greenway Cleanup

· Blair County: Canoe Creek State Park Cleanup

· Bucks County: Tamanend Park Cleanup in Southampton

· Crawford County: Downtown Meadville Cleanup

· Dauphin County: Elmerton Ave., North Cameron Street Cleanup

· Luzerne County: Abraham’s Creek Cleanup

· Lycoming County: Lycoming Creek Watershed Cleanup

· Montgomery County: Ft. Washington State Park Cleanup

· Schuylkill County: Schuylkill Keep It Pretty Cleanup in Pottsville

For more information on the Great PA Cleanup! visit www.KeepPaBeautiful.org .

The PA Soft Drink Association has supported the Great PA Cleanup! since it began in 2004 and is a founding member of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, a nonprofit group dedicated to anti-littering education and beautification projects and a state affiliate of Keep America Beautiful.

For more information, visit the PA Soft Drink Association webpage.

4/22/2005