Many Seattle residents have been asking, “How can I help keep my neighborhood streets and sidewalks clean?” We love the enthusiasm to serve your community and city through volunteer litter pickup efforts and wanted to share some tips on how you can do so safely while we work to restart the Adopt-A-Street Program in the coming weeks.
Until we have City volunteer programs like Adopt-A-Street fully up and running, we wanted to share some tips on how you can safely help keep streets and sidewalks in your neighborhood free of litter and debris!
Tips on How to Safely Collect Litter from Streets & Sidewalks
- Wear a mask – always make sure to wear a mask in public.
- Practice physical distance of at least 6′ – avoid gathering in large groups for your safety and the safety of others.
- Wear gloves – a pair of gardening gloves will keep your hands safe and clean.
- Don’t go into the street to pick-up litter, stay on the sidewalk.
- Be watchful for any unsafe litter or sharp objects – if you can’t see what is in a pile of litter, use a stick or tool to make all items visible before picking up anything with your hands.
- We recommend wearing a safety vest, if you have one, as an additional safety precaution so you can be more visible to motorists.
- If cleaning up in public spaces, please remember to be respectful of persons experiencing homelessness and to leave camps and personal property items in place.
Did you find something larger that won’t fit in your garbage bag? That’s where the “Find It, Fix It” app can help! You can easily submit reports when you find illegal dumping, clogged storm drains, potholes, or other hazards you may encounter while cleaning your street.
To learn more about about volunteering and to subscribe to receive updates on this program, visit the Adopt-A-Street Website.
As we’re continuing to assess program restarts, you can also follow along with the City’s Seattle Clean City Initiative, which is investing in new and existing programs to clean up litter and garbage across the city. The Clean City Initiative pulls together and expands efforts from Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle Parks and Recreation, Office of Economic Development, and Seattle Department of Transportation.
Thank you to all our residents who reached out to ask how they could help. Your commitment to reducing public litter on streets and sidewalks in our neighborhoods is what makes Seattle a great place to live, work, and play. Stay tuned on volunteer program restarts by following us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
