The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is asking for volunteers to help "Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful."
Each year, PennDOT conducts the "Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania" from the beginning of spring until the end of summer. It's a statewide effort to pick up roadside and shoreline litter and debris.
PennDOT spokeswoman Jamie Legenos said that last year, 141,000 volunteers collected 6.7 million pounds of litter along state roadways, trails and shorelines. But she noted the numbers of volunteers and cleanup events are on the decline. She said normally PennDOT has about 200 more events scheduled and about 34,000 more volunteers signed up by this point.
The most common piece of litter picked up by volunteers? Cigarette butts, with fast-food wrappers and containers second.
Anyone can sign up for a cleanup event that's already been scheduled or create their own. Legenos said PennDOT will provide equipment like gloves, trash bags and safety vests.
