Want to help clean up KC? How to join local litter collection efforts or start your own
Editor’s note: This story is part of The Star’s series “Talking Trash.” All of the stories were inspired by questions and concerns we heard from Kansas Citians through listening sessions, an online callout and other conversations in our community. Stories will run throughout April, and you can find them all here. You can share your thoughts by emailing kcq@kcstar.com or filling out the form at the bottom of the story. We’d love for you to join Star staff at a community cleanup event this month (more on that below).
Alicia Grindstaff started the community cleanup group Kindness in KC on social media on accident.
Everyone in a group she was in on Nextdoor seemed to be complaining about the area near the Truman Sports Complex and how it was full of trash.
It inspired Grindstaff to try and do something. She sent a callout on Facebook and Nextdoor to let people know that she scheduled a cleanup and wanted as much help from the community as possible.
Since the callout was posted over a year ago, Grindstaff’s group “Kindness in KC” has over 660 members who regularly clean up the Interstate 70 bridge by Arrowhead Stadium.
Litter in Kansas City can be daunting, but there are opportunities all over the metro to get involved in solutions, especially with Earth Day coming up. Or, you can even start your own.
HOW TO START YOUR OWN CLEANUP
Grindstaff shared a few tips on how to get a cleanup underway:
Tell people. Whether it’s your friends, family, neighbors, church group or homeowner’s association, spread the word that you’re scheduling this and would like help.
Pick the location and look into resources for the area. Grindstaff said if it’s on a highway, MoDOT will provide trash bags, vests and will pick up the bags as long as you call and report the location. If it’s in Kansas City, you can get blue bags at CAN centers (more on that later).
If it’s not on a highway, gather the materials. Depending on the municipality, you may be able to get bags from the city, but pick up some gloves, safety vests and goggles and trash grabbers if you don’t want to keep bending over to pick up trash.
Don’t schedule cleanups in bunches. Grindstaff said cleaning up the same space over and over again can cause burnout in the group.
“It’s surprising that you can have fun picking up trash,” Grindstaff said. “It’s pretty grody, but you’re with people talking and getting to meet other people. It really does help the time pass because you’re in it together.”
If you don’t want to start your own and are only looking to help, it’s as simple as going around to parks, paths and picking up trash on your own. Bring whatever you need, whether that’s trash bags, plastic grocery bags or a grabber to pick up trash.
If you’re looking to join other people, search on social media sites like Facebook, Reddit or neighborhood apps like Nextdoor. Grindstaff’s group started through a singular post.
For example in the Northland, residents organize in the Northland Community Cleanup Facebook group.
WHAT RESOURCES are available?
Neighborhoods and civic groups that create their own neighborhood cleanup events can get services from the City of Kansas City to help with litter pickup efforts.
Dumpster Program — KCMO
Any registered neighborhood associations, homeowner associations and block clubs can get a dumpster from Kansas City. If your group is in ZIP codes 64109, 64126, 64127, 64128, 64130 or 64132, email Robert Woods at robert.woods@kcmo.org for more information.
Fill out this dumpster request form and mail or bring it to 5300 Municipal Ave., the address on the form. You must include $60 for each dumpster, which has to be paid by check or money order made out to the KCMO city treasurer.
Blue Bag Program — KCMO
This program provides blue bags — for free — to neighborhood groups, civic organizations and individual residents picking up trash in the public right-of-way.
Blue bags can be collected at one of the following CAN (Community Action Network) Centers:
Blue Hills CAN Center - 5309 Woodland Ave., 816-333-7232
Blue Valley NA, CAN Center - 1512 Van Brunt Boulevard, 816-949-9021
Community Assistance Council - 10901 Blue Ridge Boulevard, 816-763-3277
Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council - 3700 Woodland Ave., 816 921-6611
Marlborough Community Coalition - 1809 E. 80th St., 816-304-2517
Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. - 5340 NE Chouteau Trafficway, 816-454-2000
Vineyard Neighborhood CAN - 4301 E. 43rd St., 816-921-5303
Westside CAN-2130-B Jefferson St., 816-842-1298
Yellow Bag program — Missouri
The Missouri Department of Transportation provides big yellow bags for community groups who organize a cleanup on a highway. MoDOT will also pick up and dispose of these yellow bags when the cleanup is complete.
MoDOT also runs a “No MOre Trash” bash to help cleanup the highways. Anyone can sign up, and MoDOT will provide yellow trash bags and brightly colored vests for volunteers.
Adopt-A-Street or Highway programs — Kansas and Missouri
Local organizations, neighborhood associations and civic groups can all adopt streets and highways to clean and care for through different local and state governments.
Adoption periods are two years in Kansas City. Each adopted street must be cleaned of litter at least three times per year by the adopting organization. You can adopt a street by applying here.
Through the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) Adopt-a-Highway program, groups can not only get the materials needed to adopt and take care of a roadway, but can also get a stipend for the work.
Other regions that offer Adopt-A-Street programs include Wyandotte County, Mission and Shawnee in Johnson County. Any groups that adopt streets in Mission or Shawnee must clean up their street at least four times each year for the next two years, while groups in Wyandotte County have to clean up at least three times a year over the next two years.
You can also adopt highways in Kansas and Missouri. Any group who adopts a highway in Kansas must clean their area at least three times a year for the next two years, and in Missouri you have to clean the highway at least four times a year for the next three years.
Check-in with your local municipality to see what highway or street adoption programs they offer
Parks cleanups
KC Parks hosts trash and litter cleanup events frequently, and offers the chance for residents to get even more involved through its Parks Ambassadors program.
Paseo Boulevard litter cleanup: 9:30-11 a.m. every Monday at 57th Street and The Paseo
Gregory Boulevard litter cleanup: 9 a.m. every Friday at 4701 E. Gregory Blvd
Camp Lake of the Woods entrance and Oldham Road litter cleanup: 2 p.m. every Sunday at 5601-6599 Oakwood Road
Indian Mound Overlook and Kessler Park weekly cleanup: Sundays, 9:30 a.m. every Sunday at 501 N. Belmont Blvd.
You must register to volunteer for each of these cleanups, which you can do here. Other municipalities host cleanup events in their area, so be sure to take a look and see what else is scheduled around Kansas City.
If none of these work, the City of Kansas City is hosting litter pickup events all across the city from April 21-23. Take a look at the schedule here and find what works best for you.
Upcoming KC area cleanup events
April 15 — Lee’s Summit highway cleanup
9 to 11 a.m. starting at Target in Lee’s Summit, 1850 NW Chipman Road off of NW Pryor Road. Sign up online here.
April 15 — Mattie Rhodes Center Northeast Kansas City cleanup
8 a.m. to noon starting at Mattie Rhodes Center Northeast, 148 N Topping Ave. Email or call Scott Wagner at SWagner@mattierhodes.org or 816-581-5662 to sign up.
April 22 — Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council Earth Day clean-up
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. starting at Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council, 3700 Woodland Ave. Sign up online here.
April 22 — Overland Park Recycling Extravaganza
8 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting at 11401 Lamar, Overland Park. Sign up online here.
April 21-23 — Great Kansas City Clean-up
There will be multiple events in various locations April 21, 22 and 23. Sign up online here.
April 15-23 — Northland Community Cleanup KC
There will be multiple events in various locations April 15, 16, 22 and 23. Ask to join Northland Community Cleanup KC’s Facebook group for a listing of these and future events.
