While littering and illegal dumping are often discussed as social or environmental problems, rarely do we think about their economic impact.

Over five years, 2014 through 2018, the Department of Transportation spent over $65 million removing litter from within highway rights-of-way.

The costs of dealing with litter and illegal dumping are quite large for communities as well, but are often obscured because they are dispersed across various governmental departments, community-based organizations and volunteer groups.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful documented in their 2019 study, The Cost of Littering and Illegal Dumping in Pennsylvania, that just nine cities in Pennsylvania spend $68 million annually on cleanup, education, enforcement and prevention efforts to address litter and illegal dumping throughout their respective communities.

Eighty percent of that went towards cleaning up.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful has a program that helps mitigate local cleanup costs. Their road and area adoption program equips local residents with the tools and resources they need to be stewards of their neighborhoods.

With the support of local municipalities, the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful adoption program is available statewide for municipal roads, parks, neighborhood blocks, greenways, waterways and trails.

Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful provides a sign recognizing the volunteers’ efforts and seeks the support of the local municipality to provide the sign post, install the sign and provide trash disposal options as needed.

City Of Scranton

The City of Scranton recently supported Lucia and Glynn Murphy, proprietors of AutoBahn Title and Tag, for the adoption of Cemetery Avenue, off the main thruway, Davis Street, which is a well-traveled street in the City of Scranton.

Their efforts will serve to improve the area and encourage other residents and businesses to do the same.

“Good deeds are contagious, and we hope this effort spreads to other areas of the City. Litter affects neighborhoods environmentally, socially, mentally, and economically. The Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Road and Area Adoption Program helps curb negative influences on communities. The program also mitigates municipal cleanup costs and allows municipal workers to concentrate on other areas of need,” said Ann Marie Jason, Construction Coordinator OECD, City of Scranton. “Just as the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful vision is a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania, The City of Scranton’s vision is a clean, beautiful, and thriving City welcoming to all. We would like to sincerely thank Lucia, Glynn and their volunteers, as good people and good deeds are priceless.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity that we have been presented with and we’re honored to give back to the community any way that we can. This is just the beginning,” said Lucia and Glynn Murphy.

Once an adoption is approved, in addition to recognition signs, the adopting individuals and groups receive gloves, bags and safety vests to get them started.

“Supporting volunteers who want to help by adopting roads or areas benefits the health and safety of the whole community,” said Shannon Reiter, President of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. We are grateful to the City of Scranton for supporting our program and Lucia and Glynn for their efforts towards a clean and beautiful Pennsylvania.”

While not littering in the first place is the best scenario, cleanups are critical, and in a sense serve as a preventative function through engaging the community around the littering issue and simply because people are less likely to litter in an area that is kept free of trash.

For more information about adopting a municipal road, park, trail or waterway, visit KPB’s Adoptions webpage or contact Stephanie Larson at slarson@keeppabeautiful.org or 877.772.3673 x104.

For information about adopting a state maintained road, visit PennDOT’s Adopt-a-Highway webpage.

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 2022 Pick Up Pennsylvania Initiative will be held from March 1 through May 31.  Questions should be directed to Michelle Dunn at 1-877-772-3673 Ext. 113 or send email to: mdunn@keeppabeautiful.org.

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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[Posted: March 24, 2022]

3/28/2022