WHAT CAN YOU AND YOUR NEIGHBORS DO TO HELP?

Philadelphia is working hard to make our city litter free. Thanks to weekly curbside pickups, a city-wide focus on recycling, six local sanitation convenience centers, thousands of city-organized weekly neighborhood cleanups every year, and more and more dedicated Philadelphians taking pride in their communities, the path to keeping Philadelphia clean has never been so clear.

You can help, too. Whether you’re a resident, small business or neighborhood school, you have a stake in helping Philadelphia solve its litter problem. Do your part, meet us halfway, and together let’s keep this city beautiful. Pick it up, Philly!

Things You Can Do To Help Keep Philadelphia Clean and Beautiful

• Become a Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC) Block Captain. PMBC oversees a network of 6,500 Block Captains who positively impact their communities on a daily basis. Call 215-685-3981 to learn more.
• Participate in the annual Philly Spring Cleanup. Project registration and volunteer opportunities open online here in early February.
• Set out your household trash and recycling properly, on a weekly basis.
• Do NOT illegally dump bulk trash. Visit one of our six conveniently located Sanitation Drop-Off Centers. Our newest location, serving West Philadelphia, is located at 5100 Grays Avenue. All locations are open Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (except on City holidays), and accept a wide range of materials not collected curbside.
• Do not litter. Hold on to your trash and recycling materials until you reach a receptacle. For your convenience, hundreds of BigBellyTM solar-powered trash and recycling compactors are located throughout the City.
• Do NOT place plastic bags in your recycling container. Plastic bags are not accepted in the curbside recycling program because they damage machinery and pose worker safety hazards. To safely recycle plastic bags, return them to specially marked recycling bins located at the front of most supermarkets, large grocery stores, and big box stores (e.g., Walmart).
• Ensure your recycling bin includes acceptable materials ONLY, such as clean, empty containers and packages.
• Dispose of household hazardous waste safely and properly at one of our many drop-off events throughout the year. For more information, a full materials list and a calendar of drop-off events, click here  or call the Streets Department’s Customer Affairs Unit at 215-686-5560.
• Join one of the over 9,000 PMBC block cleanups that are held each year in early April, or organize your own regular block cleanups to connect with your neighbors, instill responsibility in your children, and improve the overall quality of life in your neighborhood. Click here to get involved!