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Planning a Community Cleanup

Before you start, check to see if you have a local KAB Affiliate. They may be able to offer additional resources and supplies to conduct your cleanup. Set up a committee to plan your event. Make sure to choose committed, dependable and energetic committee members from a diverse cross section of the community. Try to select members from government, local businesses, and local civic organizations. The committee will need to:

Identify Location and Time Frame
You will find that there are many locations in your community that need attention. You might check with local neighborhood associations and sanitation departments to find likely sites. Possible cleanup sites include parks, neighborhoods, vacant lots, roadsides, schoolyards etc. Be creative! You may also find that these areas could benefit from some paint and plantings. Remember to obtain permission from whoever owns the area you plan to clean, whether it is private or public property.
Choosing a date will require a little research on your part to be successful. Be sure to take into account other local events and holidays. Contact your sanitation/public works department, some of the groups that might provide volunteers and the VIPs that you would like to attend to determine what works best for them. Also, be sure to give yourself plenty of time to plan. For a small-scale neighborhood cleanup, a few weeks may be sufficient time; for a larger community wide cleanup, you should give yourself 2-3 months. If you conduct your cleanup in April as part of the Great American Cleanup and Keep Georgia Beautiful month, free supplies including trash bags, gloves and promotional items are available. To register, visit www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org beginning in January each year.

Recruiting volunteers
It is much easier to recruit groups than individual volunteers, and there are probably many groups in your area that are accustomed to participating in community activities. Local religious congregations, community groups like Kiwanis, Rotary, and Jaycees, homeowners associations, scout troops, garden clubs, schools, professional associations, and local businesses would all probably have volunteers interested in helping with your cleanup. For groups that have regular meetings, ask to be included on their agenda and describe your event, its benefits to the community, and how they can be involved. Check with your planning committee, friends, and neighbors. Many of them will know people involved in some or all of these activities. Send invitations to potential volunteer groups and post flyers around the community. If possible, use media outlets to get the word out. Post notices in the paper and run public service announcements on radio and local television stations (many stations will do this at no cost as a contribution to your program).

Managing Logistics
It is probably impossible to address all of the logistical issues that will arise while planning your cleanup. However, some of the most common are listed below:

Supplies - The most basic item you will need for your cleanup is trash bags. How many you need will depend on the duration of your cleanup and on the number and type of volunteers you have (children will fill fewer bags than adults). A good general rule is three trash bags per volunteer. It is also important to have gloves or pick up tools available so that volunteers do not have to touch trash directly. If you will be working on the roadside, volunteers should also have brightly colored safety vests. These can often be borrowed from an agency in your community. These are really the only tools required for a cleanup, but it is also nice to have promotional materials like t-shirts, stickers, banners etc. to help energize your volunteers and inform the community about your efforts.

What will you do with the trash you collect? Arrange ahead of time with your local sanitation/public works department or waste hauler to have the materials collected and disposed of properly. Most landfills charge a tipping fee to dispose of trash based on weight. Sometimes, this cost is absorbed by the landfill, community, or hauler as an in-kind contribution to your program. Determine as soon as possible who will be responsible for these costs.

Will you collect recyclable materials separately? If so, how will you collect them? Where will you take them? Will you sell them? If so, what will you do with the money? Make sure volunteers are aware of the materials being collected and the proper way to handle them.

How will you track your results? Recording the results of your cleanup is a great way to help volunteers (and the community) recognize the importance of your project. Ask the paper to publish the results along with a thank you to everyone who participated in the program. It is important to keep track of your volunteers as well. Ask them to fill out a card when they arrive with their name, phone number, and address. You may want to call on them to help with future projects!
Permits are required to clean in some areas. Ask one of the committee members to research and obtain any permits/permissions you might need. Make sure you are aware of any potential hazards in the area and that you warn volunteers to stay away from them. Be certain volunteers know not to handle any dangerous materials such as medical waste or very heavy items. You may want to have volunteers sign waivers indicating that they understand the risks of participation and/or consider getting liability insurance. To minimize risks, ask volunteers to work in groups and carry cell phones if they have them. You should also be prepared with basic first aid supplies and knowledge of the nearest medical facility. After the event, be sure to send thank you notes to volunteer groups, individuals, businesses, VIPs, and anyone else who helped to make your program a success.

Depending on your specific project there may be other logistical considerations. If you will have a number of smaller cleanups happening, you may need team leaders and maps of the areas to be cleaned. If you're cleaning up an illegal dumpsite, you may need to arrange with your sanitation/public works department to be on hand to remove large pieces of debris.

A great way to encourage and reward volunteers is with a party after the cleanup. If you choose to do that, you will obviously need to plan for food, drinks, entertainment, etc. Don't forget to have water available for volunteers throughout the cleanup and, depending on the length of the cleanup, you may need to have accessible restrooms available.

Obtaining In-kind/Financial Support
Local businesses and corporations can help support your efforts in a variety of ways. A local waste hauler may donate their services to remove the litter you collect. A local home/garden center may provide plants, paint and other materials to spruce up a park. Your local supermarket may donate snacks and drinks to help reward volunteers. Many local small businesses may also be able to offer products/services to be used as door prizes/incentives for volunteers. Even if a business is unable to offer in-kind or financial support, they may be willing to let you post information about the cleanup in their establishment or they may be able to offer some of their employees as volunteers.
The key to obtaining business assistance is to help them see how supporting your program can build their business. Businesses are looking for an opportunity to advertise to people in the community in a unique way. They also want to connect their business with programs that present a positive message to everyone in the community. If you can show them how helping you will benefit their reputation in the community, you are on the right track to gaining their support.

Media Coverage
A great way to attract volunteers and reinforce your message is through media coverage. Your local newspaper/radio/TV station is looking for something that sets your program apart. Maybe you have three generations from the same family working together. Maybe you are working in an area that has been a local eyesore for years. Maybe local celebrities such as the mayor or council members will be participating in your event. If possible, meet with a representative from your local media outlet personally to describe the program and why their audience would be interested.

Think broadly about possible media outlets in your community. Could you be included in the newsletters of local organizations? Is there a Web site where you could post information about the cleanup? Most local cable stations have a scrolling community bulletin board, so ask to be added.

Plan for VIPs
You will likely increase your volunteers and media coverage if you can encourage local VIPs including local governmental officials and media personalities to participate in your event. Be sure to recognize these individuals at your event and send them a thank you afterwards.
(Planning guide adapted from "The Great American Cleanup" by Keep Tennessee Beautiful)