This fall, groups and individuals are cleaning up their favorite shared public spaces through Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Pick Up Pennsylvania program, supporting the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup, an initiative to keep trash from reaching our waterways and oceans.
Free Supplies: From Sept 1 to Nov 30, volunteers will be provided trash bags, gloves, and safety vests, provided by the PA Dept of Environmental Protection, PennDOT, and the Ocean Conservancy, as supplies last, when they register a cleanup with Pick Up Pennsylvania.
Both waterway and land-based cleanups are eligible for the program since a significant portion of waterway pollution originates on land. 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.
Join an existing event by visiting Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’s Calendar of Events, or register your own, large or small!
As an added incentive to get outside and clean up, Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful is sponsoring the 2026 Pennsylvania Resources Council, Gene Capaldi Lens on Litter photo contest, “Before and After” category. Participants are eligible for a prize of $500. One adult and one student winner will be awarded. To qualify, submissions in this category must be from a Pick Up Pennsylvania reported event. All Lens on Litter photo contest rules and requirements must be followed and the deadline is Oct 31. Enter the Lens On Litter.
