May 13, 2024

Wow! Thanks to more than 4,000 volunteers, OCRRA’s Earth Day Litter Cleanup brought in 157,635 pounds of litter last month. We’ve only seen a higher weight once before in the past 30 years.

Just days after a cloudy total eclipse, the weather was not in our favor for a cleanup event. However, Central New Yorkers are resilient and determined! This year, we hit an impressive milestone. More than 3 million pounds of litter has been collected since we began tracking results in 1994. Cleaning our parks, streets and other public spaces prevents litter from getting washed into our waterways.

More than 300 groups of friends, coworkers and neighbors signed up to participate. OCRRA hosted the event earlier than usual, hoping more local students could be involved before spring break. The annual cleanup aims to promote community service and inspire residents to keep neighborhoods clean throughout the year. 

WATCH Onondaga County in action! Visit OCRRA’s YouTube page to see a recap of our 2024 Earth Day Litter Cleanup. Congratulations to everyone involved. The success of this great community event is due to the dedicated volunteers who sign up each year. Thank you for helping us save the world a little each day.