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Great Virginia Greenup Is Still On!

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Green letters saying The Great Virginia GreenupThe Great Virginia Greenup is still on!

Each year Virginia joins the ranks of the national effort from Keep America Beautiful in The Great American Cleanup that kicked off on the first day of Spring and will continue until June 20, 2024.

Jennifer Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful states, “Keep America Beautiful has always believed in the power of beauty, and now we have the data to back it up.  We’re calling on all Americans to join us to help make our nation cleaner, greener, healthier, and safer.”  She states that the impact of a cleanup goes far beyond simply making communities look nicer. They point to new research that shows a correlation between greenspace and reductions in crime and gun violence, including a 2020 University of Virginia study, among others, that found if green space is well-designed and properly maintained, it has the potential to reduce violent crime and gun violence.

That’s one of the reasons we use the word “Greenup” instead of cleanup, because there’s so much more we can do in addition to picking up litter.  You can clean up graffiti or transform graffiti-ridden walls into community murals, plant native trees and flowers that will benefit wildlife and pollinators, or host a recycling drive.  Invite neighbors for a shared yard sale or swap to pass along your unused items, so instead of a trip to the landfill, they find new purpose.

In addition to feeling good about your Greenup accomplishments, and improving your community, Keep Virginia Beautiful has an additional incentive!  Report the results of your cleanup or other activity using our online reporting form.  Prizes of sustainable items we know you’ll love to try are awarded weekly for those who report their results!

If you don’t have a project in mind for yourself but would like to help out, you can join other groups — check out our Events Calendar to find things that are happening near you.  If you’re hosting an event, you can add it to our calendar.  And we have local affiliates across the state that are doing awesome work!

So get out there, cleanup and Greenup, report your results from now until June 20th, and feel good about what you’ve done for yourself and your community!

Thank you to our sponsors for their support!

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Person picking up litter

Apply for Green Gift Giveaways by October 15

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Person picking up litterWe hope that you’ve had time to get together with your family, friends, and community to make a positive impact with our LOVE VA campaign this Fall.  Would the use of a large dumpster spur your community into action?  Especially if you live in an area that has a problem with illegal dumping, and you want to be rid of that abandoned plaid couch or discarded construction debris from the creek.  Do you know the perfect place to install a pet waste station so that people have easy access to compostable pet waste bags while they’re walking their pooch?  We want to help with these and other challenges!

We’re giving away Green Gifts as part of our 70th Anniversary celebration that could be helpful to your neighborhood, business, or faith community cleanup efforts.

Need a dumpster to clean up large items?
Apply for the free use of a roll off dumpster delivered to your site.

Need recycling bins to corral recyclable items?
Apply for a set of six blue bins.

Need a cigarette litter receptacle to curb cigarette butt litter?
Apply for a of Cigarette Litter Prevention Package that includes cigarette butt receptacles for the wall, car, and pocket

Need a way to encourage pet owners to properly dispose of doggie doo?
Apply for a pet waste station to install in an area frequented by dog walkers.

Need to beautify a gathering space?
Apply for a Trex bench.

Here are some tips on planning a neighborhood, subdivision, or block cleanup:

  • Choose your location: decide which streets you’ll clean within the neighborhood, and consider adding safe main roads that are adjacent to the neighborhood, as well as any playgrounds or other areas of need.
  • Choose a date and get the word out: use any social media accounts your neighborhood shares, such as a neighborhood Facebook page or Nextdoor.com; have kids make posters to hang in public spaces, or to hand out.
  • Get volunteers: ask residents to chat with neighbors in next door households to encourage participation; get the kids and their friends involved in the event, they’ll be happier working together.
  • Ask volunteers to bring their own water bottles and buckets or trash bags.
  • Make arrangements for a way to properly dispose of litter and recycling that’s collected, and opt for a dumpster if your cleanup involves large items, such as removing tires from a creek or abandoned household goods.

On the day of the event:

  • Have bins or boxes out to collect recyclable items that are picked up during a litter cleanup.
  • Offer a “Leave One/Take One” table of usable items to swap.
  • Ask volunteers who aren’t able to participate in the cleanup activities to bring a carton of ice cream or topping and set up an ice cream sundae buffet at the end of the day to show your appreciation!

After the event:

  • Report your results to us! We collect data to learn about efforts being made across the state.
  • If you report your results during our LOVE VA Fall cleanup campaign (October 1 – November 15) you’ll be entered to win a prize!

Please know that the cleanup efforts you make DO matter.  Clean spaces often attract less litter and crime, and offer a more enjoyable place for wildlife and humans to visit.  Thank you for caring about the natural and scenic environment of Virginia!