Working in Angelina County since 1984, Angelina Beautiful/Clean (AB/C) has a mission to educate and empower East Texans to take responsibility for enhancing their community environment and serves Angelina County and the surrounding area to help make it a cleaner, greener place to live, work and play. AB/C cultivates programs, services and education around litter reduction, recycling and beautification.
AB/C is a local East Texas 501(c)(3) nonprofit where funds go directly back into serving the East Texas community. Grants funds, donations and fundraiser dollars stay local so that each person, neighborhood, and city can contribute to sustainability efforts at home and not only see an immediate impact but also for future generations to come.
Texas is home to a diverse landscape, and Angelina County is no exception with its beautiful natural resources. The Pineywoods has a beautiful landscape that is unique to Texas. Angelina County and the surrounding area has lakes and forests that provide so many things to do in the great outdoors along with the unique cultural and natural history of East Texas. Supporters of AB/C, through programming and fundraising efforts, realize the importance of access to resources and education that help to make an impact on quality of life in the region.
There are three pillars that drive the mission and vision of the organization. The first pillar that supports the AB/C’s mission is litter reduction. Affordable housing, quality schools, pollution statistics, taxes, and welcoming public spaces are all aspects that are tied to a clean environment. A study conducted by Keep America Beautiful measured the per capita cost of litter in the United States at $38 annually. A conservative estimate using that study could cost Angelina County $3.3 million each year in actual costs that stem from litter cleanup or unrealized costs that affects things like property values, population health, or lost economic development opportunities. Litter reduction programs have included:
- Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off
- Adopt-A-Highway cleanups
- Plogging in the Park fitness day
- National No Tobacco Day cigarette cleanup
- Neches River Rendezvous float and cleanup
- Drug Take Back Day
Next, the pillar of recycling encourages community members to be aware and intentional about the waste stream. Each person has the ability to impact end-of-life recovery of materials to minimize the impact that we have on our natural environment so that the beauty we enjoy today can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. Recycling programs have included:
- Phone Book recycling drive
- Tire recycling and E-waste collection
- Shred Day paper recycling
- Christmas tree and Christmas card recycling
- Household Hazardous Waste and E-waste collection
Lastly, beautification can come in the form of enhancing our natural environment, but it can also mean revitalizing surroundings that already exist. The importance of caring for our resources extends not only to natural beauty through landscaping but also the use of ecological sound native plants to reuse and restoration of materials to preserve history. Beautification programs have included:
- Beautification Awards
- Tree Seedling giveaway
- Arbor Day celebration
- Tree City USA
- Clean Campus Awards
With the support of volunteers through time, talent, or investment of funds, Angelina Beautiful/Clean continues to serve the Pineywoods and greater East Texas area by assisting to keep it a clean, green, and beautiful place to live, work and play for residents, travelers, business and future generations to come. For more information about Angelina Beautiful/Clean, please contact 936-632-CLEAN (936-632-5326), visit www.angelinabeautifulclean.org or follow through social media on Facebook or Instagram.
Blog post written by Jennifer La Corte, Executive Director of Angelina Beautiful/Clean
