Carbondale spring cleanup nets 500 pounds of trash

The streets of Carbondale are relatively litter free after Saturday's Spring Cleanup and Recycling Day, which Keep Carbondale Beautiful has been organizing for more than 30 years.

Almost 200 volunteers were out for the event, which netted more than 500 pounds of trash and 300 pounds of recyclables. KCB's Spring Cleanup and Recycling Day is part of Keep America Beautiful's nationwide Great American Cleanup.

Volunteers received t-shirts and lunch, thanks to local sponsors. Major support came from Burkdell Mulch, Burris Disposal, Cimco, Silkworm and Southern Recycling. Lunch was hot dogs from Arnold's Market, supplemented by Kroger, Sav-A-Lot and Panera.

Bags were left on the streets and collected by city staff, and then weighed by volunteers from the Rotary Club of Carbondale. Groups that collected the most weight won prizes from Little Caesar's, the Varsity Center and Bandana's. This year's winners were Cub Scout Pack 37, the Ting family and Options.

"We only missed a couple spots, and hope to get back to them in the next few weeks," KCB executive director Sarah Heyer said.

The amount of trash and recyclables collected was lower than in previous years, which Heyer attributes to ongoing cleanup efforts, including The Big Event, two weeks earlier.

"In fact, we have another cleanup scheduled for May 5 to focus on Rt. 13 east of town, in order to make a good impression on folks coming into town for graduation," she said.

Anyone interested in volunteering can contact Keep Carbondale Beautiful at 618-525 5525 or go to keepcb.org.