“Pedal Up to Clean Up” is an initiative to keep the community clean while also encouraging active living. Part of the Pedaling for a Cleaner America campaign, the goal is “uniting cyclists and citizens to make America’s roadways cleaner, friendlier, and safer.” For this event, volunteers meet at a designated route starting point and then ride their bicycles to the clean-up site. There they are given garbage bags, gloves, and grabbers to collect litter and recyclables.
It is especially important in our area to keep the community clean because of our proximity to the water. Any litter left on the ground could potentially be washed into storm drains and out to the Chesapeake Bay. In fact, 18% of all littered items end up in our waterways (KAB). Additionally, 49% of litter and debris on beaches was littered on land with another 18% coming from ocean-based sources (EPA).
One of our past Adopt a Spots was the Granby Street Park in Norfolk, VA. If you are not a bicyclist, don’t worry! You can still participate in the clean-up event by meeting at the clean-up site. Check the calendar for upcoming Pedal Up to Clean Up events as well as plenty of other opportunities to get involved in the community.
