Nearly 50K bags of trash collected through overall litter efforts

Roads, trails, and parks throughout the Pocono Mountains are significantly cleaner following the Pick Up the Poconos Spring Cleanup held Saturday, April 26, in honor of Earth Day. And throughout the month, even more groups of volunteers are scheduled to hold cleanups!

340+ volunteers spread out among 40 locations across the four-county region and covered 102+ miles of roadway, collecting 570+ bags of trash. In addition to individuals and families, 23 organizations, Pocono resorts, businesses, and schools generously organized cleanups in conjunction with Pick Up the Poconos.

Download Pick Up the Poconos b-roll & images HERE.

The PMVB’s overall Pick Up the Poconos campaign has resulted in at least 49,914 bags of trash being picked up and properly disposed of since 2018. The campaign includes:

  • Pocono 3C: Unique partnership that employs individuals who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, to clean roads on a weekly basis throughout Monroe County. Since 2019, the program has helped individuals obtain housing, a vehicle, and permanent jobs. In total, Pocono 3C participants have removed 25,476 bags of trash and 1,329 tires.
  • Adopt-A-Highway Litter Removal Service of America, Inc: The PMVB contracts with the company to clean Interstates 80 & 380, Route 33, and highway entrance/exit ramps throughout year. Crews collected 2,070 bags of litter in March and April, and monthly cleanups are scheduled through September (16,816 bags picked up to date).
  • Pick Up the Poconos: Volunteer-led cleanups organized by the PMVB throughout the four-county region. The event began in Monroe County in September 2018 and has expanded over time. Over the course of ten cleanups, approximately 4,294 community volunteers have removed roughly 7,965 bags of litter from 601 cumulative miles.

Pick Up the Poconos is supported by key partners including Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority, PennDOT, Waste Management, and 25+ participating boroughs/townships.

Information about future cleanups will be available at PickUpThePoconos.com in the coming months.

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Pocono Mountains visitor information is available online at PoconoMountains.com or by phone at (570) 421-5791. Established in 1934, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit membership organization. The PMVB is the official destination marketing organization for the four counties of Wayne, Pike, Monroe, and Carbon in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The PMVB operates the 24/7 Pocono Television Network which can be found on streaming, broadcast and cable.