Keep California Beautiful & Partners Launch Great American Cleanup(TM) on Earth Day
Litter collection and beautification projects take place throughout California
SACRAMENTO, Calif., April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Government, non-profit and private organizations gathered in Sacramento today, the 40th birthday of Earth Day, to launch California's statewide efforts for the 4th Annual Great American Cleanup™ campaign. Spearheaded by Keep California Beautiful (KCB), the goals of the effort are to collect litter, save taxpayer dollars, recycle more trash and raise awareness about various groups' efforts to make California the cleanest state in the nation.
"Not only is this event designed to help beautify our great state, it is also meant to educate all Californians about what various groups and organizations are doing to address these issues, and to encourage the public to take action in their own communities," said KCB Executive Director Christine Flowers. "Littering, illegal dumping and overrun landfills will spoil our quality of life here in California if we don't work together to prevent that from happening."
Representatives from Caltrans, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), Don't Trash California and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) joined KCB at the event.
Litter is unsightly in our cities and communities, but all levels of government are affected by litter problems, and the costs related to dealing with these problems have an effect on already fiscally-strapped government agencies. For example, Caltrans spends an estimated $60 million a year on litter abatement and trash collection programs.
Representatives from the private sector said they also are serious about the proper collection of trash – especially if it is recyclable.
"Many plastic bottles, bags and containers are too valuable to waste and can be recycled into new products," said Tim Shestek, spokesman for the American Chemistry Council, a trade association of plastics makers. "For example, plastic grocery bags, dry cleaning bags, bread bags, and other "plastic wraps" can be easily returned to most major grocery stores so that they may be recycled."
The cleanup and beautification activities occurred in cities across California, including Bakersfield, Glendale, Los Angeles, Oakland, Riverside, San Diego and San Jose.
Furthermore, students from the Sacramento area received special recognition for the art work they created using materials collected during "Creek Week," which is a week dedicated to cleaning up the area's waterways. And several of Caltrans' Adopt-A-Highway volunteers from throughout California were honored for their efforts to collect trash along the state's roadways.
And in addition to its support of the Great American Cleanup™, the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery (Cal Recycle) sponsored a "Just Check It" tire and vehicle maintenance/Earth Day fest at the State Capitol. Exhibit booths and displays promoted the importance of proper tire pressure to enhance vehicle safety, extend gas mileage and reduce vehicle maintenance costs.
SOURCE Keep California Beautiful
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