Litter
Everyone in America deserves to live in a beautiful community.
How We Can End Litter
The facts on litter are sobering. According to our most recent Litter Study there are 35 Billion pieces of litter on the ground. That’s 96 pieces of litter for every American.
But there is good news. In the past 5 years, littering along US roadways is down 34%!
And in 2025 alone, over 60,000 community events were held in the US, resulting in over 94,000 public spaces cleaned up by volunteers like you.
What else can be done?
Do your part by joining the Greatest American Cleanup Challenge. Join thousands of people making their communities cleaner and more beautiful for America’s 250th. Text LITTER to 475-500-8569 to get encouraging reminders to pick up litter in your community. Every piece counts. Help us reach 25 million pieces by July 4.
Take Action Now
Affiliate Network
Individual Action Center
Partners for Change
Working Within Communities
Keep America Beautiful works with individuals, communities, states, businesses, and our national leaders to address the challenges of ending litter and littering behavior.
Volunteer In Your Community
You might say, “I’m just one person, what can I do?”
Your help matters. When you volunteer to help clean up your community, you make a difference. When others see that you care for your community, they care too, and over time, behavior changes.
Our ongoing research shows that an end-to-end process for changing littering behavior through key activities like cleaning up public spaces is working.
Whether you work by yourself, or join a larger movement in your neighborhood, the cleanup is keeping America beautiful.
Counting 35 Billion Pieces of Litter: Digging into the Keep America Beautiful 2026 National Litter Study
Behind the stats: a revealing look at what’s working—and where urgent action is still needed.
New Study Shows Litter Declining Across America – Down 34% Since 2020
But 35 Billion Pieces Remain: Progress Report Reveals What’s Working and Where Urgent Action Is Still Needed
Keep America Beautiful Marks Earth Day with Final Push for Greatest American Cleanup for America’s 250th
Join us in picking up 10 pieces of litter per day through July 4 as part of the Greatest American Cleanup. Text LITTER to 475-500-8569.
Taking Statewide Action
State and municipal governments play a key role in addressing litter on our streets, in our parks, and in our waterways. Keep America Beautiful affiliates across America are working side by side with these organizations to effect change. By working together, our affiliates add their voices to those supporting infrastructure improvements and change to better manage waste in our country.
Since our inception, we have proven again and again that the power of sustained change happens when we bringing all members of our communities together.
Our 700+ affiliates working in thousands of communities across the nation are doing this work every day. Ending litter in America is possible. We’re in it together.
Working Together
Nationally, Keep America Beautiful supports the Federal policies and programs needed to end litter in America.
Keep America Beautiful Kicks off the 2024 Great American Cleanup
Join the movement today! Keep America Beautiful is proud to kick off the 26th annual Great American Cleanup on March 19, 2024!
Reviving the MLK Corridor: Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful’s Tree Planting Project Flourishes
Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful takes immense pride in its ambitious tree-planting endeavor that aims to breathe new life into the historically significant MLK corridor.
Educating And Organizing
Supporting Our Work Through
Corporate Responsibility
When implemented properly, Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle solutions work to address the sources of litter. Our partners’ investments allow us to develop the capacity of our KAB affiliate network through improvements in technology, training, skills development, and other resources.
Together, we work to place our affiliates, volunteers, and corporate partners in a strong position to lead change.
Keep America Beautiful Kicks off the 2024 Great American Cleanup
Join the movement today! Keep America Beautiful is proud to kick off the 26th annual Great American Cleanup on March 19, 2024!
Reviving the MLK Corridor: Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful’s Tree Planting Project Flourishes
Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful takes immense pride in its ambitious tree-planting endeavor that aims to breathe new life into the historically significant MLK corridor.
KAB Volunteers By The Numbers
Last year alone, over 400,000 hard-working volunteers logged more than 2.9 Million volunteer hours over the course of over 64,000 events.
What did our combined service to our communities accomplish?
of litter, debris, and recycling collected
cleaned of litter
of streets, roads, and highways cleaned and beautified
of rivers, lakes, wetlands and shores cleaned
planted, helping restore communities
Great American Cleanup® (GAC)
Our signature program, the Great American Cleanup®is a nationwide effort spanning 3 months each year. Hundreds of thousands of people come together to take part in local volunteer opportunities, educating, cleaning and beautifying.
Together, our work cleans, greens and beautifies thousands of communities – and counting.
Cigarette Litter Prevention Program
Since 2002, our Cigarette Litter Prevention Program, the nation’s largest program aimed at eliminating cigarette litter, has been implemented in over 1,800 communities, reducing cigarette litter by HALF within six months, on average.
Litter Resources
Looking for additional information on litter?
Whether you’re an individual looking to find information about living a zero-waste lifestyle, a teacher looking for educational resources, or a company looking for information on how to hold a corporate cleanup day, take a look at our resource page!
YOUR DONATION IN ACTION
Your generosity allows us to expand our program offerings, fund community improvement projects from coast to coast, and provide the means needed to make meaningful and lasting impact in local communities across the U.S.