Jan 16 2023 - May 12 2023
September 11 - November 20
Fall Sweep is KTB's annual fall cleanup program open to all Texans who want to cleanup their community. KTB provides participants with free cleanup supplies, a planning toolkit and tips and tools to make your cleanup successful. Join us in making Texas the cleanest, most beautiful state in the nation!
Overview
Who:
Texans who want to clean and beautify their local communities.
What:
Fall Sweep is a program to support the efforts of KTB Affiliates, nonprofits, volunteers, corporations, scout troops and other community groups to organize fall cleanups and beautification projects. Registered participants will have access to an online event toolkit and receive trash bags and other cleanup supplies.
When:
September 11-November 20.
Fall Sweep opens September 11, the national Day of Service, and runs through the Sunday before Thanksgiving. All cleanup and beautification activity within this time frame is eligible for free cleanup supplies. Be sure to order supplies 3 weeks prior to your scheduled cleanup to ensure timely shipment. Requests close October 31. Cleanup data must be submitted within two weeks of the event date.
Where:
KTB Fall Sweep events can take place in any public area such as parks, schools, main street/downtown, watershed areas and roadways
Toolkit
- When picking up litter, KTB recommends participants to do so responsibly and at their comfort level. Please have participants wear disposable gloves, and use a litter grabber (when available).
- When participants are finished collecting litter, please make sure their trash bags are securely tied to protect sanitation workers. Advise them to immediately wash their hands with soap and water and hand sanitizer after collecting litter. Please have them dispose of any single-use face masks and disposable gloves properly and in the waste bin. Please follow all CDC guidelines surrounding COVID-19.
- Pick a Location. Identify an area in your community that could be cleaned and that is safe and accessible. Come up with a plan to dispose of the trash and recyclables you collect properly. Visit the site in advance of the cleanup date to determine where to set up a check-in station, where to leave bags of trash and recyclables and what areas volunteers will clean.
- Register Your Event with Keep Texas Beautiful. Request your cleanup supplies and materials. Be sure to register your event in our events calendar.
- Contact Your Community. Encourage friends, family and colleagues to get involved and help organize the cleanup. Create a Facebook event so interested volunteers can RSVP, and you can easily communicate with attendees. Spread the word through email, social media, and e-invites. You can also print and post event flyers in the area.
- Set Up. Arrive early to set up and post appropriate signage for attendees. At your check-in station, ensure you have pens, pencils and sign-in sheets ready for your volunteers.
- Welcome Your Volunteers. Emphasize the importance of data collection. Make sure group leaders have their Safety Speech, Volunteer Welcome, Volume to Weight Estimation Sheet and Data Card. It is easier to collect data as items are picked up, rather than sorting and tallying everything after you clean.
- Establish a point-person to stay at the check-in station in case of health emergencies or any late arrivals. Tell volunteers what to do with the filled bags of trash and set a meeting time for the end of the cleanup so that everyone returns at the same time. Kids should always have adult supervision.
- Document Your Cleanup. Take before and after photos of the cleanup site as well as shots of your volunteers in action and a final group picture with all of the trash collected. You can submit these with your data card or tag @KeepTXBeautiful online with #KTBFallSweep.If you have a scale with a hook, use it to weigh the trash bags. If you don’t have a scale, you can use a standard conversion of 15 pounds per trash bag to estimate the overall weight of your collected trash.As the volunteers finish, remind them to review the information they entered into the Data Cards and then make sure they submit! Collect all completed paper data forms to submit to Keep Texas Beautiful.Ensure all trash is left in the designated drop-off location and that no materials are left behind as you leave the cleanup location.
Looking for more information about how to enter your cleanup data?
The Event Wrap-Up Guide includes information about how to use the Litter Database and submit your event data.
2022 Impact
Fall Sweep
The data in the following infographic includes Fall Sweep cleanup activities reported in the Fall of 2022.
After The Event
Sharing Your Event’s Results Helps Us Magnify Impact Across Texas…and the World.
