OCRRA Calls on Community to Collect Litter on April 21 or 22

Be part of one of the largest Earth Day Cleanups in the nation, register online by April 14

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Apr. 4, 2017 – Melting snow unveils tons of litter that mars our community.  Help make Onondaga County shine and volunteer at OCRRA’s annual Earth Day Litter Cleanup happening Friday, April 21 and Saturday, April 22.

 Businesses, schools, friends and neighbors are encouraged to sign up for Onondaga County’s largest environmental event.

Groups of all ages and sizes can volunteer to cleanup any public area in the county. They can clean up on Friday or Saturday (or both days). The more people that help, the more litter that is eradicated.

“Cleaning up litter is not just about removing unsightly trash,” said Dale Cocca, OCRRA recycling specialist. “It is about sending the message to everyone who passes through that this community has people who take pride in where they live, and by virtue of that, care about their neighbors and visitors.”

Register your group at www.OCRRA.org by Friday, April 14 and get in on the action.

OCRRA makes this massive litter cleanup possible by organizing participants and providing free disposal for the thousands of pounds of trash amassed each year. In 2016, approximately 7,200 volunteers collected more than 95,000 pounds of litter from public spaces in Onondaga County.

“Everybody can help make our community more presentable by picking up trash together and keeping it out of our waterways, protecting wildlife and showing pride in our community,” said Dereth Glance, OCRRA executive director.  “Onondaga County has one of the largest Earth Day litter clean ups in the nation. Don your gloves, grab a trash bag and inspire your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors to save the world a little each day, because together we do make a difference.” 

Keep America Beautiful (KAB), a national non-profit that provides the expertise, programs and resources to help people end littering, improve recycling and beautify America's communities, recognized OCRRA with a national award for our community’s Earth Day Litter Cleanup efforts in 2010.

According to the largest litter study in the nation, conducted by KAB in 2009:

• Most roadway litter (76%) appears to originate from motorists and pedestrians.
• More than 51 billion pieces of litter appear on U.S. roadways each year. That is equivalent to 6,729 items per mile of roadway.
• Fast food, snack, tobacco and other product packaging comprises nearly 46% of litter greater than 4 inches in size.
• The presence of litter in a community decreases property values by 7%.

Since OCRRA began the local cleanup program over two decades ago, more than 2 million pounds of litter have been picked up by thousands of volunteers.

Register online at www.OCRRA.org or call 453-2866, ext. 202.

Final registration deadline is Friday, April 14.

About OCRRA: OCRRA is a not-for-profit public benefit corporation created by the New York State Legislature in 1990 to deliver a comprehensive solid waste management and resource recovery system to Onondaga County residents.

OCRRA’s system includes: a strong recycling and composting program, a foundation for local waste disposal at the Waste-to-Energy Facility, two convenient trash and recycling drop off sites, a robust education component and programs for hard to manage materials, such as household hazardous waste, batteries, fluorescent bulbs and other mercury-containing devices.

OCRRA’s award-winning programs are funded by trash drop-off fees and the sale of electricity generated at the Waste-to-Energy Facility in Jamesville, NY. Learn more and get involved at www.OCRRA.org, or follow us on Facebook.

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