On December 18, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful congratulated local affiliate, Tri-County CleanWays serving Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties for 25 years of keeping Pennsylvania Beautiful.

The milestone was recently celebrated with many volunteers who have dedicated much of their free time to cleaning up illegal dumpsites and coordinating and working special collection events, some since the group’s inception in 1993.

The local affiliate began as PA CleanWays of Lawrence County, providing services and expertise regarding dumpsite cleanups and proper disposal. The group later merged with PA CleanWays of Butler County and in 2011, changed its name to Tri-County CleanWays and extended their reach to include Mercer County.

The three-county affiliate and its programs are housed and supported by Lawrence- Mercer Recycling/Solid Waste Department.

“Keeping our communities beautiful is a team effort and one that we are proud to be a part of.  As a small grassroots organization, we owe our success to the continued passion and support of our dedicated volunteers, municipalities, sponsors, and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful,” said Jerry Zona, Tri-County CleanWays Coordinator and Director of Lawrence-Mercer Counties Recycling and Solid Waste Department.

Over the past 25 years, this group of environmental champions have removed 838,000 pounds of trash, 8,712 tires and 322,000 pounds of scrap metal from various illegal dumpsites from the tri-county area.

The dumpsites, usually in out of the way locations and over a hillside, included historic sites such as, State Game Lands 95 and Miller Esker in Butler County and Chewton-West Pittsburgh Road in Lawrence County.

In addition, Tri-County CleanWays coordinates special collections for tires, appliances and electronics on an annual basis.

The collections have properly disposed over 18,000 tires, 1,497 appliances, 502,284 pounds of electronics, 65,363 pounds of hazardous waste, in addition to paper, magazines, batteries and fluorescent lights.

“I want to thank Tri-County CleanWays for consistently providing cleanup and special collection programs for their residents for twenty-five years. Anyone who has worked with this group knows the amount of dedication, knowledge and sheer determination that exists among all of its members,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. “By rolling up their sleeves and taking action, Tri-County CleanWays members and devoted volunteers have unquestionably improved many neighborhoods in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties. They are an asset to the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful network.”

The success and longevity of Tri-County CleanWays can be attributed to the support of local businesses, local government, local residents, and a core group of volunteers, all of whom care about their local community and where they live.

To find out more about Tri-County CleanWays and scheduled events, visit their Facebook page or call 724-658-6925.

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.

NewsClips:

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Philly’s Dirtiest Blocks Get Surveillance Cameras To Fight Against Illegal Dumping

Related Story:

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[Posted: Dec. 18, 2018]

12/24/2018