Keep PA Beautiful has a variety of litter cleanup tools and resources available to help groups and communities deal with litter and illegal dumping.

We have all been told that fresh air and sunshine can help improve your mood, lower blood pressure and reduce stress to name a few. But if the sight of litter while enjoying nature defeats the purpose and you, like many outdoor enthusiasts, are compelled to pick it up there is safety to consider.

In addition to littered gloves, masks and wipes that are potentially contaminated, there is also nature itself to be aware of. Stinging insects, ticks and snakes are all active this time of year.    

“Over the past several weeks, many of us have found extra time to enjoy nature, taking more walks, hiking more trails, and just spending more time outside,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.  “Unfortunately, the increased outdoor activity has also increased the amount of litter found along our trails and in our parks and neighborhoods. We know folks are eager to clean up while they are out enjoying all that Pennsylvania has to offer so we want to be sure they are being safe while doing it,”

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has been a steadfast advocate of disposing trash properly in the first place. 

“It is imperative that we stay vigilant and properly dispose of litter and recyclables all the time, not just when there’s a pandemic,” said Reiter. “Bottles, cans and food wrappers can be a public health hazard, harm wildlife and eventually end up in our local waterways and oceans. If you pack it in, you can pack it out.”

She also discouraged people from picking up wipes or gloves without litter collection devices, gloves, or the ability to immediately wash and sanitize your hands, because the items could be contaminated.

“If you use PPE, it’s your responsibility to dispose of it in a trash can,” she said. Keep America Beautiful issued an alert on how to properly dispose of PPE, noting it can hurt the environment and could spread COVID-19. Read the alert here.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, in partnership with the Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation recently released studies documenting the quantity of litter, annual costs to manage litter and illegal dumping in nine Pennsylvania cities and public opinion of litter in Pennsylvania.

The Pennsylvania Litter Research Study and the Cost of Litter and Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania are available online.

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.

The  2020 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative is postponed until September 1 through November 30.  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

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[Posted: May 28, 2020]

6/1/2020