Local litter picker uppers needed for Great American Cleanup, March 26-27

(Hampton Roads, Va., March 8, 2021) – Are you ready to do a little spring cleaning? The folks at askHRgreen.org and Keep Virginia Beautiful have teamed up to clean up Hampton Roads. Plan now to join volunteers from across the region for this year’s Great American Cleanup, March 26-27. Instead of gathering in large groups for organized community cleanups, residents will focus on cleaning up their own communities and local outdoor spaces in smaller numbers.

            During the pandemic, litter has become an increasingly difficult challenge in Hampton Roads. Fewer volunteer cleanups, coupled with municipal staffs stretched thin, means less litter has been cleared from roadways over the past year than usual. Add to this the increased use of disposable masks, gloves, sanitizing wipes and restaurant takeout containers (which are all too often discarded on the ground), and you can see why the litter problem has grown.   

            “You can rally your friends, neighbors or coworkers to host a #TeamUp2Cleanup event, or simply grab a trash bag and pick up litter while you take a walk around the block,” said Rebekah Eastep, an askHRgreen.org team leader.

            An initiative of Keep America Beautiful, the Great American Cleanup is the nation’s largest community improvement program, designed to end littering, improve recycling and beautify America’s communities. Traditionally held in the spring, last year’s local events were moved to the fall and restructured to accommodate both the safety and distance of participants.

            This year will be similar. Groups should be limited to no more than 25 participants, and volunteers are asked to wear masks, maintain a distance of six feet apart, and wear gloves or use a grabber to handle litter.   

            “Spending time outdoors is one of the safest, socially-distant activities one can do, and our region could use a good spring cleaning,” Eastep said. “Your efforts will benefit the greater good by creating beautiful, healthy spaces that we can all enjoy.” 

            To register for a local event or to lead a cleanup project of your own, visit www.askHRgreen.org/cleanup.