Neighborhood Litter Cleanups

How to care for your community while practicing social distancing. 

Practicing social distancing is one of the best ways we can limit the spread of COVID-19, but it doesn't mean that you can't still safely support and celebrate your community.

One of the things we love doing at Keep Omaha Beautiful is organizing community litter cleanups. This spring, we are shifting our focus from gathering in groups to empowering individuals (like YOU!) to go out on their own and contribute towards a collective goal of making our city a safer, healthier, and more beautiful place for everyone to enjoy.

Cleaning up litter around your neighborhood is an easy activity you can do on your own time without fancy tools or equipment. With Summer upon us, this is a great time to get outside and explore your neighborhood in a new way.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Don’t know where to start? Walk outside of your front door and begin there! You can collect litter from sidewalks, right of way areas (you know, that space between the sidewalk and the street) and storm drains.
    
2. Do wear gloves! If you don’t have disposable gloves, a pair of gardening or work gloves will do the trick! And if you don't have work gloves and would like us to mail you some disposable gloves, please email us at HelloKOB@cityofomaha.org.
    
3. Have a few plastic bags from grocery shopping laying around? These work perfectly for litter cleanups. If your neighborhood has collected more than its fair share of litter, use a regular garbage bag.
    
4. Make your safety a priority. If there is a piece of litter that you just can’t get to safely, it’s okay to let it go. Keep an eye out for traffic, and wave to your neighbors from a safe distance.

Want to take it to the next level?

Consider marking storm drains with "no dumping" decals in your neighborhood with your family. Contact us at HelloKOB@cityofomaha.org to learn more and arrange for supplies.

Let's face it, we could all use some encouragement at this time.

We invite you to share your photos with us on Facebook & Instagram or report on what you collected during your cleanup below. Share the good work you are doing in our community and we will enter you into our weekly drawing to win a gift card from a local restaurant or business!

Tell us about your cleanup!