The River, Lakes, Bays ‘N Bayous Trash Bash will celebrate its 25th consecutive cleanup at 14 locations in the Galveston Bay watershed on March 24.
Volunteers are welcome.
Trash Bash is the largest, single-day, waterway cleanup in Texas. In 2017, 3,242 volunteers collected 52 tons of trash, 1.5 tons for recycling, and 574 tires, while cleaning 150 miles of shoreline.
Over 24 years, a total of 105,800 volunteers have collected 2,189 tons of trash, 16.3 tons for recycling, and 10,709 tires. Trash Bash is designed to improve Texas’ waterways, especially given its location at the end of the state’s trash stream, the Galveston Bay watershed.
To volunteer, visit TrashBash.org, call 281-486-9500, or email WaterResources@h-gac.com.
Trash Bash contributes to the success of the Keep Texas Waterways Clean campaign. In 2016, nearly 1 of every 5 volunteers was a Trash Bash participant, cleaning 28 percent of the total waterway miles, and collecting one quarter of all the trash.
The cleanup promotes environmental stewardship of the watershed through public education by utilizing hands-on educational tools and developing partnerships between environmental, governmental and private organizations.
"It’s a great opportunity for residents, students, and businesses to get hands-on experience about the effects of littering and learn about simple ways to reduce water pollution at home through interactive educational exhibits,” said Lori Traweek, president of the Texas Conservation Fund, which manages Trash Bash with administrative support by the Houston-Galveston Area Council and a volunteer steering committee.
Volunteers are provided with cleanup supplies, receive an official Trash Bash® t-shirt, lunch after the cleanup, and can win great door prizes. A commemorative patch is available for scouts and collectors.
“The catalysts for Trash Bash’s continued success are our committed sponsors and our dedicated volunteers,” said Traweek. “They believe in what we are trying to accomplish with our message that prevention is key to controlling litter and we are all responsible to do our part.”