The 2022 Great American Cleanup Month in Pickens County is off to a great start! Keep Pickens Beautiful has hosted two events to kick off the month of cleanups – an Edible Jasper garden cleanup & prep, and a roadside cleanup event on Carver Mill Road. So much has been accomplished!
Keeping Pickens County clean is a pillar of KPB’s mission. The Adopt-A-Road program is one of our oldest and most effective initiatives with volunteers from throughout the county who walk many miles each year collecting hundreds of bags of trash.
The Small but Mighty Team
This past weekend, a small but mighty team participated in our first roadside cleanup event. Despite the chilly weather, most of Carver Mill Road was cleaned up – between Hinton Milling and Scarecorn Creek the truck was filled with:
- 21 bags of trash
- 2 tires
- Several yard signs
- A coffee maker and other larger miscellaneous items
Thank you to everyone who was driving by and slowed down for our team on Camp Road. Thank you to our volunteers who did an excellent Next time you drive down Carver Mill Road and you enjoy the scenery and vistas, be sure to notice how clean the roadsides are!
Roadside Litter – A Serious Problem
Roadside trash is a national problem. Keep America Beautiful recently published their 2020 National Litter Study, and it is filled with interesting information and statistics. According to their study:
- There are nearly 50 billion pieces of trash on our roadsides and in our waterways
- This equates to 152 pieces of litter for every US resident
- Cigarette butts continue to be the single most littered item in the United States
- This is a 54% decrease since 2009 so we’re improving
- 90% of Americans still claim that litter is a problem in their state
“One of the reasons why U.S. residents believe that litter is a problem in their state is because they know that litter negatively impacts their communities. A large majority of U.S. residents agree that the presence of litter affects the environment, waterways, property taxes, home values, tourism and businesses, quality of life, and health and safety in their communities. Americans understand that litter is a problem that has numerous and varied negative impacts in their communities. While an individual piece of litter is often very small, the aggregate problem of litter has substantial consequences “
How Can We Help?
What can we do to address this persistent problem? Roadside cleanups are a start because people are more likely to litter in places that are already littered. KPB is here to help!
The Keep Pickens Beautiful Team has heard the comments from many members of our community that the roadside litter is a concern. We are inviting everyone to come help address the issue – come get involved with KPB’s Pickup Pickens! The best way to keep our county clean is to start with clean roadsides, and then work together to keep them clean.
More Great American Cleanup Opportunities
KPB has several more events scheduled in April for the Great American Cleanup. Join us to help improve Pickens County while connecting with your community, having fun, and meeting new friends.
- April 16 – Edible Jasper Spring is Springing! – a BIG planting day in the Edible Jasper gardens in downtown with more than 400 plants that are ready to go in the ground
- April 23 – Earth Day on Main Community Appreciation Day – join the KPB Team at their office at the south end of Main Street for plant give-aways, live music, snacks, raffles, and more!
- April 30 – Let’s Clean Up Pickens! Pickup Pickens Part 2 – join the KPB Team as we clean up Camp Road on the east side of the county
Watch the KPB website and Facebook group for updates on the events and activities sponsored throughout the month of April.
Get Involved to Make a Difference
To read the complete Keep America Beautiful 2020 National Litter Study, visit this link: https://kab.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Litter-Study-Summary-Report-May-2021_final_05172021.pdf
Join Keep Pickens Beautiful and our Team of Amazing Volunteers to help improve our community. This is a great opportunity for you to meet your neighbors while making a positive impact. You’ll have fun, you’ll get some exercise, and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you were a contributor to the national Great American Cleanup initiative.
Contact KPB at KeepPickensBeautiful.org or stop by their office at the south end of Main Street Monday – Friday, 11:00-3:00.