What a haul

It’s a shame Allegheny CleanWays finds so much trash

In an ideal world, Allegheny CleanWays would not have to exist. The nonprofit dedicated to eliminating illegal dumping and littering in Allegheny County would not have a place in a utopia as everyone would respect the natural beauty of the area, making sure to place their trash and recycling in the appropriate receptacles.

Alas, such a world does not exist. So we should all be thankful that a group like Allegheny CleanWays does exist, working tirelessly to pick up trash from spots throughout our communities, including vacant lots, greenways, streets and riverbanks. Last month, the group collected 11,300 pounds from the Allegheny River and its shorelines.

Such a sizable cleanup wouldn’t be possible without a lot of help. The month- long endeavor took place in 11 communities and required the help of 133 volunteers. More than 1,000 pounds of trash were collected in five different communities. In Sharpsburg alone, 1,750 pounds of trash were collected, as well as 2,000 pounds of wet carpet.

These figures — all of which can be viewed on the group’s Facebook page — are a stark reminder of the need for all of us to take greater pride in the cleanliness of our local environment. Pittsburgh is fortunate to have lush green space, spectacular views and, of course, three rivers. But we must not take these things for granted; we all must make an effort to pick up after ourselves and respect our forests, parks and waterways.

Area residents are fortunate that Allegheny CleanWays has been doing the heavy lifting thus far. Since its inception in 2000, the group has cleaned up 5 million pounds of trash. We should all strive to make sure it does not have to collect 5 million more.