Over 40K bags of trash collected through overall litter efforts

Roadways throughout the Pocono Mountains look much cleaner following the Pick Up the Poconos Spring Cleanup held Saturday, April 20, in honor of Earth Day.

500+ volunteers spread out among 40 locations across the four-county region and covered 169 miles of roadway, collecting 1,041 bags of trash. In addition to individuals and families, 25 organizations, businesses, church groups, Pocono resorts, and school districts organized cleanups in conjunction with Pick Up the Poconos.

Following the event, hundreds of community members and cleanup volunteers attended the third annual Earth Day Celebration hosted by Pocono Organics with a variety of vendors, educational demonstrations, and activities for all ages.

Download b-roll & images from the event HERE.

The PMVB’s overall Pick Up the Poconos campaign has resulted in at least 40,229 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 more than 30 individuals obtain housing, a vehicle, and/or permanent job. Last month alone, 767 bags of litter and 27 tires were removed through Pocono 3C.
  • 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 at least six times a year. Crews collected 750 bags of litter earlier this month and will be out again over the next few weeks (weather dependent).
  • 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 exponentially expanded each year with more community groups, organizations, and businesses participating. Roughly 7,315 bags of litter from 493 cumulative miles have been cleared by the region’s community volunteers.

Pick Up the Poconos is supported by key partners including Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, Monroe County Municipal Waste Management Authority, PennDOT, Waste Management, and 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.