In celebration of Earth Day - April 22, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, whose vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania, encourages residents to organize their own cleanups or volunteer for one near them as part of the 2018 Great American Cleanup of PA.

Events registered through May 31 receive free trash bags, gloves, and safety vests from PennDOT district offices, as supplies last.

The Great American Cleanup of PA engages over 150,000 volunteers annually in litter cleanups, illegal dump cleanups, beautification projects, special collections, and educational events.

To help with the cost of trash disposal, the Department of Environmental Protection and PA Waste Industries Association are sponsoring Let’s Pick It Up PA through April 30. During this time, trash collected at registered events can be taken to participating landfills and receive free or reduced cost disposal with prior approval.

“We are so grateful to our volunteers and sponsors who help make the Great American Cleanup of PA, Pennsylvania’s premier community improvement initiative, possible,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “Last year, Pennsylvanians coordinated and participated in 7,280 events. Over 20,000 tires and 5 million pounds of trash were removed from our beautiful landscape. This year we hope to engage even more Pennsylvania’s to join the Great American Cleanup of PA to help keep our communities clean and beautiful.”

Just A Few Cleanup Events

Highlighted below are just a few of the many Great American Cleanup of PA Earth Day events taking place across Pennsylvania via Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful/ Keep America Beautiful affiliates.

-- Keep Blair Beautiful – Homer’s Gap Cleanup on April 21 at 9:00 in partnership with Intermunicipal Relations Committee.  Contact Katrina Pope at kpope@ircenvironment.org or 814-942-7472.

-- Keep Centre County Beautiful - ClearWater Conservancy is cleaning Spring Creek Watershed on April 21 from 8:00 to 2:00. Contact Lexie Orr at lexie@clearwaterconservancy.org  or 814-380-8433.

-- Keep Harrisburg-Dauphin Beautiful - Great Harrisburg Litter CleanUp on April 21 from 9:00 to 1:00. Contact Julie Walter at jwalter@cactricounty.org  or 717-232-9757 x105.

-- PA CleanWays of Mifflin County - Hawstone Road Cleanup on April 21 from 9:00 to Noon. Contact Pam Sechrist at pammiff@verizon.net or 717-899-6701.

-- Reading Beautification Inc. – Riverfront Park Cleanup on April 21 from 8:00 to 1:00. Contact Steven Harrity at steven.harrity@readingpa.gov  or 610-655-6017.

To find an event near you visit the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Calendar of Events. Choose the county that you are interested in and click refresh.

Join thousands of volunteers who are keeping our communities clean and beautiful and register your event online. 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.

Video Contest

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is also calling for videos highlighting your 2018 Great American Cleanup of PA event featuring groups, children, and adults having fun keeping your communities clean and beautiful.

Cash prizes, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, are $200 for the winning entry and $100 each for two runners up.

Recognize sponsors and incorporate Great American Cleanup of PA in your video. Send a 60 second video to slarson@keeppabeautiful.org.

The Great American Cleanup of PA is held annually from March 1 through May 31 and is led by a coalition of non-profit, state agency and business partners such as the Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT, the PA Food Merchants Association, PA Waste Industries Association, ShopRite and The Fresh Grocer, Wawa, Inc., Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Giant Food Stores, LLC, BioHiTech, Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority, Mahantango, Republic Services, Steel Recycling Institute, Wegmans Food Markets and Weis Markets, Inc.

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.

Sign up now for the 2018 Great American Cleanup of PA and set up your own cleanup and beautification event from March 1 to May 31.

NewsClips:

Youngwood Seeks Volunteers For Earth Day Cleanup

Earth Day Guide To Where To Take Your Unwanted Stuff In Lancaster County

Carr: Monroeville Still Accepting Registrations For Weekend Cleanup Day

Related Stories:

ClearWater Conservancy Watershed Cleanup Day April 21 In Centre County

Schuylkill Action Network 15th Annual Schuylkill Scrub Cleanup May 19

PA Resources Council, PA American Water, Partners Host 3 Drug Take-Back Day Collection Events In Allegheny County

DEP, PennDOT, Local Officials, KPB Participate In Park Beautification Event In Chester, Delaware County

[Posted: April 19, 2018]

4/23/2018