Annual Big Sweep Cleanup Continues Through Sept. 26

The annual “Big Sweep” to clean up Greensboro starts Saturday, Sept. 20 and runs through Saturday, Sept. 26, so you have plenty of time to participate.

The “Big Sweep Together. Family and Friends Cleaning Up Greensboro” is a project of Greensboro Beautiful and the City of Greensboro sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Greensboro.

Big Sweep is an event held each fall to get litter out of the waterways and neighborhoods, and off the streets and sidewalks. Everyone is invited to participate, but as with everything in the year of the coronavirus, it’s a little bit different this year.

Scout troops, schools, businesses, community organizations and families are all invited to participate, and this is one where you can’t participate virtually.

However, participating groups should not exceed 10 people at a time. Also this year participants are asked to provide their own trash bags or plastic grocery bags for collection and to wear gloves for their own protection. Greensboro Beautiful will not be providing shared cleanup supplies such as safety vests and grabbers as it has in the past.

Those wishing to participate are asked to signup using the online signup form at https://form.jotform.com/202054316166952.

People can choose the site of their own or can select from the litter hot spots map which can be found here: Litter Hot Spots

Those participating in Big Sweep are asked to submit photos from the cleanup, report the number of bags collected, the amount of time it took to clean up the area and the total number of people on the team participating and email that information to GreensboroBeautiful@gmail.com.

If you choose to cleanup a waterway and would like to become an Adopt-a-Stream partner, which means you’d have to clean it up more often, but also that you get public credit for your efforts, you can email WaterVolunteers@greensboro-nc.gov.

If you’re not a joiner but would like to participate in cleaning up Greensboro, all you need to do is take a plastic bag next time you go out for a walk and pick up any litter you happen to see. You don’t have to fill out any forms, join any organizations, send any emails or take any photos, but Greensboro will be a little bit cleaner when you finish your walk.