Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful removes 7.2 million pounds of trash

Talk about taking out the trash.

The Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program resulted in 7.2 million pounds of trash being disposed of in 2018, thanks to the work of nearly 130,000 volunteers, according to a spokeswoman for the organization.

In addition, 2.3 million pounds of electronics waste and over 43,000 tires were either recycled or properly disposed of.

“Since our inception in 1990, over 141 million pounds of trash has been removed from our landscape and over 8.7 million pounds of electronics have been collected and recycled,” said Shannon Reiter, president of Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Program initiatives include illegal dump and river cleanups, tree and flower plantings, and educational events.

“Countless neighborhoods have been improved because of the dedicated service of volunteers who participate in our programs, such as the Great American Cleanup of PA, International Coastal Cleanup and our adoption program for local roads and areas,” Reiter said.