Since 2006 the Mayor’s Litter Committee has collaborated with neighborhood groups, schools, churches, businesses, City leaders, and City staff, to reduce litter that is strewn about our streets, sidewalks and alleys. In 2010, Diana Hall, president of Bard Optical, was appointed by Mayor Ardis to assume leadership of the litter campaign. She is leading the committee in its plan to revitalize the campaign with an emphasis on:
- Recruiting a reliable pool of volunteers for neighborhood cleanups
- Educating children and adults about the impact of litter on our environmental
- Enlisting support from the business community
Litter Campaign accomplishments from 2006 though fall 2011:
- Rappers Against Wrappers – A contest for students to write and perform a song (rap) about littering which was sponsored by the Litter Committee, Keep Peoria Beautiful, and District 150.
- Pride in Peoria is Picking Up! A campaign slogan developed by the committee and Converse Marketing. It is emblazoned across billboards, on yard signs and T-shirts.
- Cigarette Butts Cleanup: After the statewide smoking ban took effect the committee sponsored an initiative to reduce cigarette butts outside the bars on Main Street. Participating bars were provided with cigarette butt containers and hand held butt
disposal packets. A count of butts before and after the containers showed a marked
reduction in butts on our sidewalks and streets.
- Downtown Litter Cleanup: Downtown Peoria was strategically mapped for cleaning. Volunteers were equipped with safety vests, litter grabbers, buckets and bags to canvas streets, sidewalks and alleys for litter. A subsequent cleanup included the Boy Scouts.
- Litter awareness education & outreach: The Pride Pals mascots were created in 2008 to enhance educational presentations to students, and to promote litter events. Their smiling green faces are a familiar sight at many cleanups.
- Committee sponsored neighborhood/area cleanups: Saturday morning cleanups are held in all City Council Districts in collaboration with neighborhood associations, businesses, church groups, and social service organizations.
- School Litter Squads: Schools sponsor teams of students who clean up litter on and around the school grounds. The Litter Campaign offers Pride in Peoria is Picking Up! Tshirts and yard signs.
For more information, contact Steve Fairbanks, Community Development Specialist, at 494-8603 or fill out our online form.