Have you ever heard of RVA Clean Sweep? We featured the group in this space last year, their inaugural campaign as a litter cleanup group. But man were they busy in 2015. This past calendar year RVA Clean Sweep volunteers donated 1,150 hours of their time and removed over 17,000 pounds of litter around Richmond. These volunteers lead cleanups in Randolph, Oregon Hill, Forest View, Manchester, Scott’s Addition and along the James River. In 2016, according to group organizer Amy Robins, the group will be expanding by community request into Fulton, Forest Hill Terrace, and along Brookland Park Boulevard. To see if there is an RVA Clean Sweep cleanup in your neighborhood, visit their Meetup page.

The group after a very productive day. Credit: James Loving

From the group: RVA Clean Sweep is a 100 percent volunteer operated and organized group of local residents. We believe in establishing consistent monthly cleanups to reduce the amount of litter in our neighborhoods as well as along watersheds that lead into the James River. We do this by partnering with neighbors, neighborhood associations and business associations. We have had the support of numerous businesses hosting cleanups and look forward to highlighting new businesses that care about their communities in the new year. 

We recognize that people will litter where they feel it is acceptable to litter. Our volunteers’ efforts send the continuous message that it is not acceptable to litter. Is it working? YES! Volunteers that have returned to neighborhoods after a few months have noted a reduction in the overall amount of littering. 

Making litter reduction part of the conversation with your neighbors, neighborhood and business association meetings is needed if results are to be measured. Please contact us if you would like help in starting that conservation in your neighborhood.

To quote David Brower, “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Let’s make tomorrow better. We watch our volunteers work hard to spread the message of the damages that litter has on multiple aspects of our lives. We also share a mutual compassion for keeping Richmond clean and greatly appreciate the continued energy that our volunteers bring to each and every cleanup to fight against litter. We would love to see you too!