WM’s Alliance Landfill in Taylor and Beach Lake Transfer Station in Berlin Twp., Wayne County, are offering free waste disposal in April to groups that register their spring cleanup projects with Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful’ s (KPB) Pick Up Pennsylvania program.

Michelle Dunn, Pick Up Pennsylvania coordinator, said groups planning cleanups can register their projects and receive free gloves, bags and vests while supplies last through KPB at www.KeepPABeautiful.org (Programs/Pick Up PA).

Ms. Dunn said the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and Pennsylvania Waste Industries Association have arranged for free waste disposal for registered cleanup projects. Free disposal is available at Alliance and the Beach Lake Transfer Station through April.

KPB’s statewide cleanup effort in 2021 attracted more than 6,000 volunteers who removed 1,100 tons of waste and recyclables from 4,430 miles of roadsides, shorelines and trails. Project volunteers last year also picked up and properly disposed of almost 23,041 waste tires and planted more than 102,000 trees, shrubs and flowers.

“Plenty of litter and other waste remains to be picked up,” Ms. Dunn said. “We estimate that there are over 500 million pieces of litter spoiling Pennsylvania’s roadsides.”

According to the state’s 2020 litter study, more than two-thirds of this litter is cigarette butts and bits of plastics. Motorists and pedestrians are the leading sources of litter. The report also found litter is impacting the taxes we pay. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spent more than $65 million to remove litter from roadsides between

2014 and 2018 and the state’s nine largest cities, including Allentown and Scranton, spend $68.5 million a year on litter prevention, education and cleanup.

“You can make a difference in your community by working together and I encourage scout and church groups, youth sports organizations, neighborhood associations and workplace teams to register an event at keeppabeautiful.org and celebrate spring by helping to clean up our state,” Ms. Dunn said. “And if you are an individual or family interested in joining an existing event, please contact our office and we will try to match you with a local cleanup project.”