Keep Erie County Beautiful was formed in 2017 through the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development as an affiliate of the national Keep America Beautiful organization.
Keep Erie County Beautiful aims to inspire the citizens of Erie County through education and collaboration and works to preserve our natural environment by reducing litter, increasing recycling, and beautifying our communities.
Programs and Initiatives
Erie County Spring Cleanup – April 19-25th, 2026
Erie County is inviting residents, businesses, schools, and community groups to help keep our community clean during Spring Cleanup Week, April 19–26. Volunteers can participate by joining one of the organized cleanup events listed below or by registering their own cleanup using this registration form: Spring Cleanup Registration. Participants who register and report their results—could be a photo of your cleanup group, number of trash bags collected, most unique item found, or estimated weight of litter collected—will be entered into a giveaway for Erie SeaWolves game tickets, who are generously sponsoring this initiative through the donation of game tickets for volunteers! Giveaway winners will be determined on May 1, 2026 and will be contacted directly. Tickets will be available for pickup at the Erie County Department of Planning Office.
Please note that if you are registering your own cleanup, trash disposal will not be provided.
To support volunteers, trash bags and gloves will be available for pickup at the Erie County Planning Office from April 13–17, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. You can join an existing cleanup hosted by local organizations through the links below or organize your own effort in your neighborhood, workplace, or favorite outdoor space. Every volunteer and every bag of litter removed helps make Erie County a cleaner, healthier place for everyone.
- Pick a cleanup location or join an existing cleanup from the options below.
- Register your cleanup event or use the registration link to sign up for the existing cleanup below (if required.)
- Pick up cleanup supplies from Erie County Department of Planning (150 E Front St., Suite 300, Erie, PA, 16507) anytime April 13-17th from 8:00am-4:00pm. (Reach out to Audrey Knight aknight@eriecountypa.gov if you require a different pickup time.)
- Host your cleanup event any time between April 19-25th.
- Report back any results you observed from your cleanup event (number of trash bags collected, most unique item found, estimated amount of pounds of litter collected, a picture of your cleanup group, etc.) using this link: Reporting Link
Join a cleanup:
Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 9:00AM
Northwest Pennsylvania Charter of Trout Unlimited and National Fuel
A cleanup of Cascade Creek will be held in Erie, PA on April 21, 2026 from 9AM-1PM.
Participants should meet at the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier (LEAF) Education building (1501 W 6th St, Erie, PA 16505) by 9AM to sign in and pickup supplies. There is parking onsite and via surrounding side streets.
The Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of Trout Unlimited is partnering with National Fuel, Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards, and Pennsylvania Sea Grant to host this cleanup. Register: https://forms.gle/TLvFiGj83U7ETUir9
Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 9:00AM
Penn State Master Watershed Stewards/Trout Unlimited/Project NePTWNE
The Penn State Extension Master Watershed Stewards are partnering with the Northwest Pennsylvania Chapter of Trout Unlimited and Project NePTWNE at Gannon University to host a downtown Erie cleanup! Please join us on April 23 from 9AM-11AM at the Erie Insurance Armory (corner of Parade and 6th streets) to complete a neighborhood cleanup.
Participants should meet at the corner of Parade and 6th St by 9AM to sign in and pickup supplies. There is parking via surrounding side streets.
Registration: https://forms.gle/5zKy4MPFDQehABmT7
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 10:00AM
Presque Isle
Help keep Presque Isle healthy and clean by picking up litter along the beaches, trails, and bayside shoreline. Bags and Gloves are provided but if you want to bring your own that is welcomed. Dress appropriate for the weather. Put the bags of litter in a dumpster or leave the bag along the road for maintenance to pick up.
· April 25, 2026 · Registration Required at Presque Isle State Park Annual Spring Clean Up | Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
· Check in at the Rotary Pavilion between 8:00 am to 10:00 am
· Optional picnic at the Rotary from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Sponsored by the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie and the Presque Isle Partnership”
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 9:00AM
SJJ Neighborhood Network
Join SJJ Neighborhood Network this Earth Day to help clean up our gardens, green spaces, and neighborhoods! Together we can clear away the trash, old leaves, and winter debris the snow left behind—and help make Erie shine.
Grab a friend and lend a hand at one of our locations from 9am to Noon:
– West Side: 425 W. 18th Street (Little Italy)
– East Side: Red Garage across from Serafin’s at 24th & Ash
A little time makes a big difference—we’d love to have you with us!
Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 11:00AM
Edinboro Borough-Township-University
Join your friends and neighbors for the 6th annual Edinboro Borough-Township-University Community Cleanup! For more details email communications@edinboro.net. Bags, gloves, and dumpsters will be on site at these locations:
- Billings Park
- Chestnut Park
- Thompson Park
- Stonehaven Drive (sewer lift station)
- Shelhamer Drive (sewer lift station)
- Erie Street/Walker Drive
- County YMCA (bags and gloves only)
Report your results here! https://forms.gle/TmrW8VtUBsB614qH9
International Plastic Pellet Count 2026
Join the International Plastic Pellet Count on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The International Plastic Pellet Count is a global citizen science effort that invites volunteers to visit local waterways, search for tiny plastic pellets (also known as nurdles), and record their findings. These small plastics, used to make everyday products, often end up polluting rivers, lakes, and oceans. By participating, individuals help track where pollution is occurring, raise awareness, and contribute valuable data that supports stronger environmental protections and solutions. Visit https://shorturl.at/Swgnl to register and for more information!
Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania
Join Pennsylvanians across the state – and Americans across the nation – for the Great American Cleanup. You can participate in the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania by cleaning up litter and trash along our roadsides, streams, beaches, parks, forests and neighborhoods. Additional events include holding recycling events for hard-to-dispose-of items like tires and appliances; creating or enhancing green areas by planting plants, bulbs and trees; removing or painting over graffiti that devalues your neighborhood; and other activities that help beautify your community.
During the Great American Cleanup of Pennsylvania, which is from March 1 to May 31, registered events can get free cleanup supplies such as bags, gloves and vests donated by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Keep America Beautiful. If you are interested in coordinating a cleanup, register your project and contact the Erie County Sustainability Coordinator for help getting your supplies.
Erie International Coastal Cleanup
The Erie International Coastal cleanup is an annual fall litter collection event held on the third Saturday of September in partnership with Ocean Conservancy and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful. This is one of thousands of litter cleanup events happening with support from millions of volunteers across the world all on the same day, removing trash from along our coastlines and waterways. In Erie County, we have 18 to 20 different locations for volunteers to pick from and help out. For more information about the cleanup and how to volunteer, contact the Erie County Sustainability Coordinator at 814-451-7326.
Community Appearance Survey
As part of the affiliation process with Keep America Beautiful, a community appearance survey of Erie County must be completed. The purpose is to have a better understanding of how littered our community is by driving across the county and rating the roadways. The first survey was conducted in October 2016, and has been completed annually since. For details on the results of the community appearance survey, contact the Erie County Sustainability Coordinator.
Local Advisory Committee
A local advisory committee of local citizens and organizations within Erie County has been appointed to guide the work of Keep Erie County Beautiful. The committee has nine members, one representing each of the interest groups below:
- Erie County townships
- Erie County boroughs and cities
- Erie County industry or for-profit organizations
- State agencies
- Erie County neighborhood groups
- Erie County nonprofits
- Erie County school districts, charter schools, and private schools
- Erie County institutions of higher education and post-graduate technical schools
- Erie County Executive’s Office
Meetings
Meetings of this committee are held quarterly and open to the public. All meetings, unless otherwise noted, are held at 9:30 a.m. at the Erie County Department of Planning and Community Development, 150 East Front Street, Suite 300, Erie.