Keep America Beautiful® Launches Largest Litter Cleanup and Greenup in History to Honor America’s 250th Birthday
2024年7月22日 - 8:50PM
Keep America Beautiful today kicked off the Greatest American
CleanupTM, a campaign to remove 25 billion pieces of litter from
the national landscape and create a cleaner, greener, and more
beautiful America by July 4, 2026, our country’s 250th
birthday.
According to a Keep America Beautiful study released in 2021,
90% of Americans believe litter is a problem in their state. The
historic cleanup comes amid a new Keep America Beautiful survey
conducted by The Harris Poll* among over 2,000 U.S. adults 18+ that
shows 87% of Americans are interested in beautifying their
communities – including improving recycling efforts, participating
in community cleanups, and creating more green spaces. A majority
believe that people coming together to pick up litter can lead to
healthier, stronger, “more neighborly” communities.
“This is an historic cleanup for an historic moment,” said
Keep America Beautiful President and CEO Jennifer Lawson. “As we
come together to celebrate our nation’s 250th birthday, we all have
a role to play in making our country look its very best. We’re
inviting all Americans to join us as we pay tribute to the proud
legacy and can-do spirit of this beautiful place we call
home.”
Over the next two years, more than 25,000 communities
across the nation will be invited to make a new “declaration” to
clean, green, and beautify their neighborhoods and public spaces.
In addition to picking up litter from parks, public spaces,
roadsides, and waterways, activities will include planting trees
and flowers, cleaning nature trails and recreation areas, painting
community murals, and supporting local beautification and recycling
efforts.
“The Greatest American Cleanup is not only about picking
up trash,” Lawson said. “We want to inspire individuals and
communities to work together towards a more beautiful and more
sustainable future.”
Honorary Co-Chairs of the Greatest American Cleanup
include the grandchildren of two American
presidents:
- Lucinda, Jennifer, and Catherine Robb, granddaughters of
President Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird Johnson, who played a
pivotal role in beautifying America as First Lady and remains an
inspiration to the Keep America Beautiful
movement.
- Lauren Bush Lauren, granddaughter of President George H.W.
Bush, whose famous “thousand points of light,” speech encouraged
Americans to volunteer their time and talents to their
communities.
“Our grandmother, Lady Bird Johnson, believed deeply in the
importance of preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of
America for future generations, and I think she’d be pleased that
her legacy continues to inspire the Keep America Beautiful
movement," said Co-Chair Lucinda Robb. "In memory of our
grandmother, my sisters and I are honored and delighted to support
this important initiative that brings Americans together to clean
and beautify our communities in celebration of our nation’s 250th
birthday.”
National sponsors of the Greatest American Cleanup include
The Coca-Cola Company, iHeart Media, Hilton, Niagara Cares, Carol
Cone on Purpose, and The Harris Poll.
“The Coca-Cola Company is proud to be a presenting sponsor
of the Greatest American Cleanup,” said Alba Baylin, Vice President
of Stakeholder and Social Impact Management, North America
Operating Unit at The Coca-Cola Company. “We care about the impact
of every drink we sell, and collection is an important part of our
sustainable packaging strategy World Without Waste. Addressing
plastic waste takes collective action. We are long-time partners of
Keep America Beautiful’s mission and commend their effort on litter
reduction across the country ahead of our nation’s 250th
birthday.”
“Building a cleaner, greener America where everyone enjoys the
benefits of living in a safe, healthy, and beautiful community has
been at the heart of our work for more than 70 years,” Lawson said.
“We’re excited for the opportunity to demonstrate the spirit of the
Keep America Beautiful movement and the power of doing beautiful
things.”
Visit kab.org/greatest to learn more and declare your support
for the Greatest American Cleanup.
About Keep America Beautiful:
Keep America Beautiful®, the nation’s leading community
improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to
take action every day to improve and beautify their community
environment. Established in 1953, Keep America Beautiful® strives
to end littering, improve recycling, and beautify America’s
communities. Join us on Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, and
YouTube.
*Online survey conducted within the United States by The Harris
Poll on behalf of Keep America Beautiful from June 13-17, 2024,
among 2,093 adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of
Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible
interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within
±2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level.
- The Harris Poll Data
- Greatest American Cleanup Logo
McCall Vrydaghs
Keep America Beautiful
475-422-5283
mvrydaghs@kab.org