Want to clean up litter in your neighborhood? Our Volunteer Litter Cleanup Program provides resources to community members interested in organizing volunteer cleanups to help keep our City sidewalks and rights-of-way free of litter. The City removes hundreds of thousands of pounds of litter from public property each year, and we’ve heard from community members who want to support these efforts. The Volunteer Litter Cleanup Program is a response to these requests. Learn more below!
How does it work?
Interested community members can organize a solo or group cleanup event on public property. If the proposed event meets our safety requirements and signed liability forms have been submitted, we will provide cleanup kits for you to borrow that include disposable gloves, litter grabbers, garbage bags, high-visibility vests, and buckets. City staff will pick the bags up for disposal during work hours. Then please return borrowed cleanup kits and let us know how the event went!
Step 1. Complete volunteer interest form
Complete a volunteer interest form to let us know where and when you’d like to complete a cleanup on public property. City staff will review the form to make sure it meets our safety requirements and will follow up with you.
Step 2. Sign liability waivers
Each person in your cleanup group will need to sign a liability waiver. Youth under 18 must have a signed youth liability form. Completed forms can be sent to AskPW@cob.org or brought in person when you pick up your litter kit.
Step 3. Pick up your cleanup kit
Once liability forms have been received for all participants, you can pick up litter clean-up kits from 2221 Pacific Street. These kits include buckets, litter grabbers, high-visibility vests, garbage bags, and disposable gloves. We have enough materials to accommodate up to 25 people and materials are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Step 4. Submit a SeeClickFix request
Once you have completed your cleanup event, you can leave the sealed garbage bags on public property – without blocking streets and walkways – and City staff will pick the bags up for disposal during work hours. Let us know where the bags are located by submitting a SeeClickFix request via app or online. It’s helpful to include a photo. You can also let us know if there are any larger items that need to be picked up, such as furniture left on the sidewalk.
Step 5. Return the cleanup kit
Please return the buckets, litter grabbers, vests, and any unused gloves or bags to 2221 Pacific Street during work hours so they can be used by another group.
Step 6. Let us know how it went
This is a new program as of August 2024, so we’d welcome your feedback and ideas for how to improve. Let us know how it went at AskPW@cob.org.
Where can I host a cleanup event as part of this program?
This program is intended for public property only, such as sidewalks, rights-of-way, and parks. This program is not meant for cleaning private property. We recommend choosing an area in your neighborhood that you visit often. To ensure safety, please avoid:
- Encampments or areas with significant hazardous materials
- Sites near critical areas, along steep slopes, or with other environmental concerns
- Busy roads and heavily trafficked areas
Let us know where you are planning to host a cleanup event through the Volunteer Interest Form and we will follow up if there are any concerns.
What if I would like to regularly clean up litter?
If you’d like to clean up litter at or otherwise help maintain a City park, trail, or open space on a regular basis, you can apply to become a Park Steward. If you’d like to regularly clean up litter from City sidewalks or rights-of-way, please let us know at AskPW@cob.org.
What do I remove during a cleanup?
Remove litter from public areas that is safe to handle and can be easily disposed of or recycled. Use gloves, litter grabbers, and garbage bags provided by the City to pick up and dispose of waste.
Please do not remove sharp items or hazardous waste. Instead, you can report the location of these items using SeeClickFix. You can also use SeeClickFix to let us know about any furniture or other larger items abandoned on public property.
When can I host my cleanup?
You can host your cleanup anytime during daylight hours. Please note that if you host your cleanup on a weekend or later in the day, the sealed garbage bags that you leave outside after your event may not be picked up by City staff for a couple of days.
How else can the City support my event?
We are happy to provide guidance and answer any questions you may have about hosting a cleanup event.
Contact
Please email AskPW@cob.org with questions about the program.
