PHILADELPHIA – The 2021 Philly Spring Cleanup, billed as the largest single-day, citywide cleanup was a huge success. On Saturday, April 10th, residents, civic organizations, businesses, government agencies and nonprofits all worked together to remove litter, beautify blocks, and spruce up shared spaces. With new COVID protocols in place, the Streets Department registered more than 600 projects with the help of an estimated 13,500 volunteers.
The results of the April 10th 2021 Cleanup include the removal from city streets of:
- 427,100 pounds of trash
- 4,000 pounds of recycled materials
- 76,000 pounds of tires
In the last 14 years, more than 11.4 million pounds of trash and 950k pounds of tires have been removed from city streets with the help of an accumulated 200k volunteers at nearly 6,750 project sites.
Since its inception in 2008, the Cleanup has managed to grow in size and scope—evolving beyond cleaning and debris removal to beautification projects with longer-lasting effects. Due to the pandemic and stay-at-home orders, the 2020 Philly Spring Cleanup was cancelled.
“The results of cancelling the 2020 Philly Spring Cleanup were evident,” said Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams. “We noticed increased incidents of litter and dumping in nearly every area of the city, all along city streets, parks, gardens, and recreation centers. This solidified what we’ve known all along, and that is, we can’t keep the city clean without the vital partnerships we have with residents, business owners, CDC’s and other stakeholders.”
The Philadelphia Department of Streets thanks all of this year’s project coordinators and participants, who made the 2021 Philly Spring Cleanup a huge success, and reinforces the importance of the continuation of cleaning efforts throughout the remainder of the season. The Streets Department and its community partners look forward to reinforcing its commitment to the quality of life for residents and maintaining clean, green and safe streets.