Get ready for the Great American Cleanup

The country’s largest litter cleanup and beautification event, the Great American Cleanup, takes place March 22 and 23, and askHRgreen.org invites Hampton Roads residents to sign up now for an event near them or organize their own.

Since launching the Great American Cleanup in 1988, Keep America Beautiful estimates that 500,000 volunteers have taken part in 15,000 community events nationwide through local affiliates and partner organizations. Community volunteers with askHRgreen.org — a region-wide environmental education and awareness initiative — have championed the event, too, supporting the campaign in Hampton Roads for over a decade.

Last year, more than 2,400 local volunteers participated in organized litter cleanups, collecting 2,805 bags of litter and 429 illegally dumped tires. At the end of the 2023 cleanup event, residents had cleared more than 47 tons of litter from the region — compared to 33 tons of trash recovered during the 2022 cleanup.

Free tools available for community cleanups this year through askHRgreen, including litter grabbers, trash bags and safety equipment.

The region’s litter prevention team is also in need of more volunteers. While askHRgreen.org works year-round to raise awareness about the most frequently littered items in the U.S. — cigarette butts, food wrappers, beverage containers, plastic grocery bags and straws — litter continues to be a major problem in most Hampton Roads communities.

To register for a Hampton Roads Great American Clean event, visit askhrgreen.org/ cleanup. And for more info and resources for all things green, visit askHRgreen.org.