Keep America Beautiful Launches 2019 Great America Cleanup

On the first day of spring, national nonprofit Keep America Beautiful launched its 2019 Great American Cleanup, the nation's largest community improvement program. Through this far-reaching effort, which takes place March 20-June 20, Keep America Beautiful and its network of more than 600 community-based affiliates and partner organizations host cleanups, green-ups and fix-ups in more than 20,000 communities across the country, engaging more than 1.5 million volunteers and participants.

Keep America Beautiful, with the support of its affiliates and their volunteers, social and civic service organizations, municipalities and government officials and Great American Cleanup national sponsors will surpass many of the achievements of last year's 20th anniversary Great American Cleanup, including 68 million pounds of recyclables collected; 24.7 million pounds of litter collected; 9.4 million volunteer hours logged; more than 55,400 miles of roads, shorelines and waterways improved and beautified; and nearly 21,300 public spaces cleaned.

This year's Great American Cleanup features the launch of the new Common Ground Campaign. Local, state and national elected officials are being invited to Great American Cleanup events to demonstrate that the cleanliness of communities is on Common Ground.

"No matter where one falls on the political spectrum, all Americans hope to live in healthy and beautiful communities," said Helen Lowman, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, in a statement. "Creating clean, green and beautiful communities is non-partisan. By volunteering for the Great American Cleanup, you can help Keep America Beautiful transform our public spaces into beautiful places—something we can all believe in."

While many Keep America Beautiful affiliates in warmer regions have already started their Great American Cleanup programs, many are scheduled to take place throughout spring. Local, hands-on volunteer events and education programs will renew public parks, trails and recreation areas; clean, enhance and protect shorelines, beaches and waterways; remove litter and debris from roadways, storm drains and public spaces; reduce waste and improve recycling; and plant trees, flowers and community gardens.

#cleanYOURblock

The 2019 Great American Cleanup social theme—#cleanYOURblock—is a call to action to engage more volunteers and participants in public space cleanup, beautification and recycling events conducted by Keep America Beautiful affiliates nationwide. Once an individual becomes a Great American Cleanup volunteer with their local Keep America Beautiful affiliate or partner, the national nonprofit's goal is that they will be inspired to take that experience home to organize similar, smaller-scale events in their own neighborhood—right on their own block—with neighbors, family and friends.

"Working with our affiliates and partners, we can help advance environmentally and economically healthier communities, while making the important connection between people and their places," added Lowman. "The Great American Cleanup is a great time to encourage our family, friends and neighbors to build community pride and stewardship."

2019 Great American Cleanup Event Highlights

Here is a roundup of some Great American Cleanup events taking place this spring:

National sponsors of the 2019 Keep America Beautiful Great American Cleanup include the Altria Group, The Dow Chemical Company, The Glad Products Company, Niagara Bottling, Inc., Northrop Grumman Corporation and Sazerac Company.