To prevent litter from ending up in our waterways, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful urges Pennsylvania residents to participate in the Fall Pick Up Pennsylvania, in support of the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup.

This year’s program runs through November 30 and registration is now open.

This annual event is an opportunity to improve neighborhoods and Pennsylvania’s waterways by coordinating or participating in a litter cleanup.  

During this period, registered events can get free trash bags and gloves provided by the  Department of Environmental Protection, PennDOT and the Ocean Conservancy, as supplies last.

In addition to waterway cleanups, land-based cleanups are also eligible since a significant portion of waterway pollution originates on land.

The results of a 2019 statewide study on litter, conducted by the Departments of Environmental Protection and Transportation and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, estimated that there are 502 million pieces of litter on Pennsylvania roadways.

That litter could potentially end up in our oceans. Wind and rain wash litter into storm drains or directly into creeks and rivers that eventually flow to the ocean where it impacts marine life, human health and coastal economies.

Over 30 percent of all litter found on Pennsylvania roadways is plastic. Plastic litter left in the environment breaks down into extremely small pieces called microplastic. Microplastic is virtually impossible to retrieve from our lands and waters.

Without an effective way to recover these tiny particles, they make their way into every aspect or lives, from the food and beverages we consume to rain and the air we breath. Microplastics in our oceans fatally affects marine life, other wildlife and enters the food chain, threatening human health. 

“The most powerful solution is to stop litter from entering our oceans in the first place by disposing of waste properly, reducing the amount of products we purchase, and improving waste management systems overall. You can help by cleaning up in and around your community! Grab a bag and collect litter from the side of the road, parks, fields and sidewalks before it finds its way into a storm drain or local waterway,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. 

The Ocean Conservancy’s annual International Coastal Cleanup engages hundreds of thousands of volunteers from around the world to remove millions of pounds of plastics and debris from beaches, lakes and waterways. 

This event has grown to include participation by all 50 states and U.S. territories and 90 countries with the number growing each year. Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is proud to coordinate this effort in Pennsylvania.

In 2020, nearly 12,000 volunteers canvassed their communities to remove 777,650 pounds of trash and 122,600 pounds of tires from Pennsylvania’s lands, waterways and coastal regions from September through November.

Individuals, families, neighbors, students, civic organizations and local governments are all invited to participate.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful suggests following all applicable federal, state and local health and safety rules for COVID-19 in effect at the time of the event.

Event Sponsors

Current 2021 Pick Up Pennsylvania supporters include: Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania funded by the NiSource Charitable Foundation, The Giant Company, Coca-Cola, Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association, Wawa, Giant Eagle, Luminent - Fayette Energy Facility, Mahantango Enterprises, Inc., Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, Republic Services and Wegmans.

If you are interested in making an investment in a cleaner Pennsylvania by becoming a supporter of the 2022 Pick Up Pennsylvania program, contact Shannon Reiter at 724-836-4121 or sreiter@keeppabeautiful.org.

Registration

Click Here to register your cleanup event.  Questions can be answered by Michelle Dunn, Pick Up Pennsylvania Program Coordinator, at 877-772-3673 ext. 113 or mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.    

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.

Keep PA Beautiful helps mobilize over 100,000 volunteers a year to pick up litter, clean up illegal dumping and beautify Pennsylvania.

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-- PA Resources Council: Pop-Up E-Waste Collection Events In Allegheny County During October

[Posted: September 7, 2021]

9/13/2021