Annual countywide event prevents trash from entering waterways

Keep Pasco Beautiful Cleanup Event a Huge Success

Our community pulls through once again – showing its unwavering commitment to protecting Pasco County’s environment!  More than 1,500 volunteers participated in the annual Keep Pasco Beautiful cleanup event in September, picking up more than 18 tons of trash and litter along roadways, public spaces and waterways!

By the numbers:

• 18.52 tons of trash and litter collected
• 79 locations in Pasco County
• 1,564 volunteers
• 4,885 volunteer hours logged
• $155,344.59 cost benefit

(Volunteer Time Value value)

“It’s estimated 80 percent of the trash in our waters originates from land,” said Keep Pasco Beautiful Coordinator Ligia Buchala.  “That means we prevented 18.52 tons of trash from traveling through rivers and stormwater systems into the Gulf of Mexico, which is remarkable!”

The Pasco County Department of Public Works plays an important role in picking up trash for the event, which is part of the International Coastal Cleanup coordinated by Ocean Conservancy.  The worldwide event has collected more than 350 million pounds of trash with help from around 17 million volunteers since 1986.

For more information about Keep Pasco Beautiful, visit: keeppascobeautiful.org.