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Keep Rutherford County Beautiful's annual Spring Litter Sweep is almost here. The yearly county-wide litter cleanup will kick off Saturday, April 1 and continue until April 30 in honor of Earth Month. The Litter Sweep will happen alongside Keep America Beautiful's 3-month program, the Great American Cleanup and North Carolina Department of Transportation's 2-week statewide Spring Litter Sweep. Teams of volunteers will gather to pick up trash strewn along the county's roadside, parks, trails, and parking lots. Anyone is welcome to form a team to pick up litter; concerned citizens, organizations and businesses are highly encouraged to volunteer.
Keep Rutherford County Beautiful (KRCB), an official affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, has been leading volunteer-based litter pick-up in Rutherford County since 2016. What began as an Earth Day clean up has become a community-wide effort dedicated to implementing green initiatives in Rutherford County. In 2019, KRCB expanded to a month-long sweep to account for rain and increase participation and collected over 9 tons or 18,000 pounds of litter with the help of more than 600 participants. The community has responded proactively over the years with 2022 showing growth after the pandemic downturn but participation has not rebounded.
The 2022 Spring Litter Sweep collected 2.5 tons of litter collected by 150 volunteers, but KRCB hopes to see even more volunteers this year. Litter Committee Chair, Gabe Isaac, reminds us that "Everyone's choices can make a difference, but it's a community effort. Just last week, 12 students from James Madison University were able to pick up 25 bags of litter on one street in Rutherford County." Isaac continued, "Just imagine if that was 24 people, or 50 or 500. We can make a difference. Studies have shown that 'green space' is important to residents' physical and mental health. Removing litter that never should have been there in the first place is a good first step. Let's take this step together, for people and for nature."
The litter sweep is a community initiative open to anyone willing to pick up across the county. Gather neighbors, friends, family and coworkers and make a team. Keep Rutherford County Beautiful will supply you with safety vests, gloves and collection bags. Once litter is bagged, KRCB will remove the collected litter with the help of the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and local municipalities public works departments.
Signing up is easy. Contact KRCB at 828-278-7840, email KeepRCNCBeautiful@RutherfordCountyNC.gov, visit https://www.keeprcncbeautiful.org, or visit facebook and search for 'KeepRCNCBeautiful' to become a Team Leader. Team Leaders are the main point of contact who will communicate with KRCB to determine the day, time, location of pick-up, and number of volunteers. Team Leaders are responsible for gathering their team. Team members will be able to sign up electronically. If you do not have an area in mind for pick up, they will assign you a location that works for you.
KRCB Executive Director, Jenna Bailey, announces "Our team is ready for your signups and happily await to partner with teams large or small! We encourage all ages as well. Roadsides are in great need of pickups, but you can also clean up your neighborhood, favorite park, trail or shopping center. You can sign up over the phone or online easily. Even checking your supplies in and out is handled contactless. It is a simple system that should fit any schedule," said Bailey.
The Litter Sweep provides a great opportunity to students looking to complete service hours. KRCB will be awarding a $1,200 Green Scholarship and a $500 Green Scholarship this year to two graduating high school seniors looking to pursue a major with an environmental impact.
The Litter Sweep also provides an opportunity for businesses looking to achieve Certified Green Business status through Keep Rutherford County Beautiful. KRCB encourages businesses to make the Green Promise in an effort to reduce the amount of waste they produce, recycle more, and prevent litter.
Contractors for paid litter pick up are still needed. Licensed businesses that are interested in collecting on roadsides with tight shoulders and speed limits over 45 responding to this need are encouraged to contact Keep Rutherford County Beautiful through email at KeepRCNCBeautiful@RutherfordCountyNC.gov.
