FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Springfield is more beautiful than ever, thanks to the volunteers and households who took part in the City’s Clean Green Springfield 2023 initiative. 
Nearly 1,500 individuals registered to volunteer in one or more volunteer cleanup or beautification opportunities in April and May. Volunteer opportunities included one-time street and stream cleanups, various beautification projects at sites throughout the city, two Point of Pride Cleanup events, and provided volunteer support for many of the scheduled Neighborhood Cleanups hosted by Community Partnership of the Ozarks.
Nearly 1,000 followed up on their registration, completing one or more of their volunteer commitments.
Assuming an average of 2.5 hours of volunteer work per participant, it’s estimated that Clean Green volunteers logged more than 2,500 volunteer hours through the spring initiative.
Nearly 1,500 bags of trash were collected by Clean Green volunteers throughout the campaign, estimated at more than 18 tons of litter removed from Springfield streets, neighborhoods and waterways.
The Clean Green Tire Toss event collected 1,587 tires and served 297 households. Tires were recycled through Prime Trucking’s Eco Shred service and will be turned into rubber mulch and other products. Clean Green Springfield also provided recycling opportunities for 485 mattresses and 242 TVs, items that might otherwise be dumped or take up unnecessary space in Springfield’s Noble Hill Sanitary Landfill.
Why this matters
Litter in our community gets washed into storm drains when it rains and ends up in our streams. Based on local stream assessments, it’s estimated that there are over 600,000 pieces of trash in Springfield streams, 60% of which is plastic. Cigarette butts are also a commonly littered item with an estimated 50,000 butts in local streams. Trash affects the use and enjoyment of waterways and trails for popular recreational activities and is a source of pollution that impacts water quality, aquatic life and animals.
Sponsors & Partners
The City would like to thank the following sponsors and partners for their support in Clean Green Springfield 2023: KY3/KSPR/CW; Community Partnership of the Ozarks; Missouri Department of Transportation; and Ozark Greenways.
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For more information, contact Cora Scott, Director of Public Information & Civic Engagement, at 417-380-3352 or [email protected] or Kristen Milam, Communications Coordinator, at 573-819-3713 or [email protected].