City of Columbus

City employees will clean litter on the Southside on Saturday, May 11, during Mayor Michael B. Coleman’s Annual City Employees Spring Litter Cleanup. The cleanup will start at South High School, 1160 Ann Street, at 9 a.m.; volunteers will begin to arrive at 8:30 a.m.  The Mayor’s annual litter cleanup event is organized by Keep Columbus Beautiful, a community beautification program within the city’s Department of Public Service. 

“I am so proud of the City employees who will volunteer and send a clear message that litter in any Columbus neighborhood is everyone’s responsibility,” said Mayor Coleman.  “Everyone needs to help keep our city beautiful.  If you see litter, pick it up!”

From 2003 to 2012, the Mayor’s annual cleanup event attracted 2,240 volunteers who collected 56.7 tons of litter and debris in neighborhoods across Columbus.  Statistics from the first two years of the event, started in 2001, are not available.

“Keeping Columbus clean is a year-round team effort,” said City Councilmember Eileen Y. Paley, chair of the Public Service and Transportation Committee.  “Events like this are great to raise awareness, but we all need to do our part to keep Columbus beautiful.”

The boundaries of the cleanup area are:

North:  East Whittier Street
South:  East Morrill Avenue
East:  Lockbourne Road
West:  Parsons Avenue

Keep Columbus Beautiful works with neighborhood, business, church and other groups to clean litter in Columbus between April and October of each year.  The groups are responsible for recruiting volunteers for the cleanups; KCB provides trash bags, gloves, litter grabbers, rakes and other equipment for the cleanups.   In 2012, 8,995 volunteers cleaned 158.4 tons of litter and debris in Columbus.  Neighborhood groups who want to organize cleanups and work with KCB should call 645-2421.

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